


The Apple Fell Far From The Tree

by Pixelatrix



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Feels, Humor, Light BDSM, Love Triangles, Romance, Rough Sex, eventually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-02-13 03:56:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 35,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2136093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixelatrix/pseuds/Pixelatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sonnet Harper-Wells grew up far away from the Alliance and Cerberus after her mother passed away leaving her to stay with her Aunt and Uncle on Mindoir.   In the middle of a Batarian raid, she finds herself rescued by a man claiming to work for her father, Jack Harper, who she has never met.  Now she must figure out a way to traverse through the mind field that her 'family' has become.</p><p>With no idea who to turn to for help or who to trust.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Patrick Hoch_

_Subj: re: The Daughter._

_I realize the man has been estranged from his daughter._

_I’m concerned about the reasons behind his sudden concern for her safety. The Alliance has been picking up chatter about slavers on the move near the Terminus Systems. Keep the girl safe from everyone, including her father if necessary._

_I realize this puts you and your undercover operation in a precarious position, but there have been enough children destroyed by the man. Let’s not let him do the same to his daughter. I know we both knew her mother well. I have no idea why she let herself get wrapped up in a man like him, but she sent Sonnet to live with her family for a reason._

_I’m guessing she was more aware of the path that Sonnet’s father was taking than we thought._

_I’d rather the girl learn on her own than from the Alliance or from either of us. Though if she asks you questions, don’t lie. I want her to be able to trust and rely on you, she won’t be able to do that if she knows you lied._

_Keep in touch._

_Steven_

* * *

 

Sonnet Harper-Wells crouched down as far into the bin of grain as she could get. The fifteen year old clutched her slender hands tightly to her throat to stop the bleeding. In trying to help her little cousin, she’d been shot in the neck. She applied medi-gel to the wound after a moment, but started to panic when it wasn’t enough to completely heal it.

The batarian attack had been… _terrifying_. The colonists had been expecting it though. Slavers were getting more brazen in their invasions. Sonnet wished she’d been able to do more to….do something to save someone. She’d barely gotten away with her own life.

_Oh god._

She burrowed deeper into the grain when the sound of boots against the pavement in front of the barn echoed inside it. She’d hidden inside one of the many bins inside of the structure at the edge of the farm. Her father had a tracker on her omni-tool. One of her closest friends was incredibly gifted with technology. They’d left the tracker alone, but she’d become very savvy at leaving it behind on certain occasions.

He might never spend time with her, but he certainly threw plenty of credits her way. Sonnet was wary of him. There was always a sense of dread and fear when her family mentioned her father.   She didn’t know why, but she understood it enough to know he might not be a very good man.

_Lots of credits._

They were nice. Sonnet liked having everything she could ever want, though her aunt and uncle were too strict to let her be spoiled. It never seemed to fill the empty spot in her when she thought about her mom being gone or the father she never met. She didn’t really _miss_ him.

_You can’t miss what you’ve never really had._

She lived with her Aunt Melody, her mother’s sister, since her mom died when she was two. Her mom had been a famous fashion model. She’d been taken ill and died before the doctors could figure out what was wrong. Her aunt said Sonnet had her mother’s looks and her kind heart, but her father’s pragmatic, driven mind. She always said that last bit like it wasn’t a good thing.

Her drifting thoughts were stopped by the sound of the barn door opening and the footsteps moving inside. The door squeaked as it swung shut with a loud bang. It made Sonnet flinch. She moved one of her blood stained hands up to cover her mouth to muffle the sound of her breathing.

“Ms. Harper-Wells?”

She practically bit through her tongue to keep from responding to the very _human_ sounding voice. It had to be a trick. She’d heard the screams throughout the colony non-stop in the last hour or two. She wasn’t sure how much time had gone by.  

“Ms. Harper-Wells? My name is Patrick Hoch.” He kept his voice low, but she thought he was standing a few feet from her. “I work for your father. We received the distress message you sent. I need to get you out of here before the Alliance arrives.”

She stayed silent.

“I can prove it.” He sounded closer this time, almost like he was crouched in front of her hiding place. “He said to tell you that he has Treble waiting for you.”

_Treble?_

Sonnet remembered the letter to _santa_ she’d sent as a little girl. She’d desperately wanted a German Shepard puppy. Her father, it seemed, never forgot the request. She stood up and pushed the lid off of the bin.

The first thing Sonnet realized was Patrick Hoch did _not_ have a poker face. His tanned face went ashen when he noticed the blood cover her clothes and the jagged, raw scar across her throat. He reached down to lift her carefully out of the grain.

“Are you in pain?”

Sonnet tried to speak then shook her head in frustration sending tears flying. She realized the damage to her neck must be worse than she thought. She pulled up her omni-tool to type up something for Patrick to read to let him know she was in pain, not terribly so which was surprising. She asked if anyone at the farm house was alive, but the look in his eyes told him they weren’t.

“I need to get you to the shuttle.” He carefully checked out her wound then used a cloth from his pack to clean up some of the dried blood. He applied another packet of medi-gel. “Can you walk, Ms. Harper-Wells.”

She lifted her omni-tool to type up a message to him, ‘Sonnet. My name _is_ Sonnet. And I can walk.’

“Yes, ma’am.” He helped her out of the barn, but seemed to find her insistence on walking alone amusing. “Your father is waiting on the ship for you.”

Her fingers could barely run through her dirty and blood-caked brown hair. She’d always hoped to make a _good_ impression on her father the first time she saw him. This wasn’t quite what she’d had in mind.

Quietly sitting in the shuttle while Patrick piloted it away from Mindoir, Sonnet stared down at her filthy hands. She really wanted a shower. She knew she’d been lucky the bullet missed her artery. There was too much happening at one time and she was having trouble bringing it all into focus.

“Sonnet?”

She’d been so lost in her thoughts she didn’t realize they’d arrived on the station or that Patrick had left the shuttle. She glanced up to find her father in front of her for the first time. He commented on how _wonderful_ it was to see her again. It caused something in her to snap and she shot up to slap him across the face.

He caught her wrist easily in his hand. “If you _ever_ do that again, I _will_ ensure you regret it. In spite of the circumstances, I am pleased to see you so why don’t we start again? Hmm?”

Sonnet lifted her arm once he’d released her wrist to pull up her omni-tool to type out a response. ‘Fine. If you’re so _delighted_ to see me, _Jack_ , why has it taken fifteen years?’

“I’m sure the events of today have exhausted you. Patrick is going to take you to the Med Bay and then to your new rooms.” Her father glanced down at the blood spatter covering her clothes. “You’ll find a change of clothing there. Be sure to purchase anything else you might need from the terminal in your room.”

Patrick rejoined her after her father had left. “Pleasant reunion?”

‘ _Delightful._ ’ Sonnet typed out a response to him. ‘I’m sure he’ll find it in his heart to throw plenty of credits my way to make up for it.’

“Are you always this cynical?” Patrick led her across the shuttle bay into an elevator. “You’re just a kid.”

‘When I was five, I asked Aunt Melody if my daddy worked at a bank.’ Sonnet fumbled with the keypad on her omni-tool. ‘I thought because all he ever sent was credits, he must be a banker or something. I was five; I wanted a connection with him. I didn’t understand.’

“And now?”

‘Better not answer that question.’

With a weary feeling of stealing her energy, Sonnet followed Patrick through the station once the doctor had completely healed the injury to her throat until they reached a large suite which consisted of a large bedroom, an office and a living room. It was simply, but elegantly decorated, plain though, as if the decorated had waited for the new owner to provide personal touches. She sank down on the couch with her head in her hands.

“I’m sure the doctors will find a way to fix your voice.” Patrick sounded incredibly uncomfortable.

‘Go away.’ She typed the two words out without bothering to glance in his direction. ‘Please.’

“I’m sorry about your family and friends.” He ignored her and sat next to her on the sofa.

‘Thanks.’

“But you’d still like me to go away?” He got to his feet to head to the door. “I’m in the room across the hall. Let me know if you need anything or wish to go somewhere.”

_Thanks for the welcome to hell._

Sonnet didn’t bother typing the words out. She stood on shaky legs to find the bedroom. She wanted to wash the whole horrid day away. The closet held a smattering of very expensive clothing. She pulled on a simple top and jeans for the moment then collapsed on the bed.

_How the hell was she going to deal with her father?_

She hadn’t seen a picture of him in years. He looked very different. He looked like a blurry image of The Illusive Man that her Uncle had shown her once. He’d been warning her about watching out for the man. She hadn’t understood why…now she did.

Jack Harper was the Illusive Man.

She wasn’t sure what it meant, but it didn’t seem as if it meant anything good for anyone, including herself.

* * *

 

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: re: Alive?_

_Thank fucking god._

_I thought I was the only one to make it out alive._

_My family…didn’t make it. I’m so fucking sorry about your aunt and uncle and everyone._

_How’s life with ‘dear old dad?’_

_The Alliance picked me up. I’m no Arcturus staying with an old friend of my dad’s—Steven Hackett. He’s nice for an Admiral. He said you could come visit if you want. Think your dad would let you?_

_Later,_

_Walker_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonnet Reference: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92447263991/sonnet-jacqueline-harper-wells
> 
> Patrick: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92566191726/silverfoxmen-eric-rutherford-model
> 
> Walker: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92057300896/jlmatau-stuart-bellamy-elan-management-models
> 
> Treble: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92433019061/brazenbvll-maverick-c
> 
> Trevor: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100754320971


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Patrick had in the course of two weeks developed a hell of a lot of respect for the fifteen year old daughter of the man he’d promised to bring to justice. Sonnet had none of the self-absorbed avarice of Jack Harper. It had been mellowed by a gentleness she must’ve received from her mother. She seemed to have her own version of the man’s willful tenacity.

He waited patiently in the corner closest to the door to her sitting room while Sonnet played with Treble, her fully grown, well-trained German Shepherd. The dog had been trained to be her protector. Sonnet didn’t give a damn about any of it. Patrick got the feeling that she was unloading some of her stress and unease into the dog who had taken to her almost immediately.

_Treble didn’t like Jack or Patrick for that matter._

Treble didn’t really like anyone other than Sonnet, though thankfully, he did obey commands from Patrick.

_Thank god for that._

A loud barking caught Patrick’s attention and he glanced over to find Sonnet waving at him. She’d spent two days training Treble to bark when she wanted someone’s attention. Her father had told her it was impossible. She tended to rise to the occasion when he did it.

‘I hired a decorator.’

“A decorator?” Philip raised an eyebrow at that bit of information.

_What fifteen year old hired a decorator?_

‘I told you that my father didn’t know how to do anything, but throw credits at me. I’ve hired an interior decorator for my small set of rooms, a personal stylist for my wardrobe and a private tutor for my education. Do you think he’ll mind?’ Sonnet lowered her arm after finishing her message to smile at Patrick.

“I’m sure your father…”

Her arm snapped up to stop him. ‘He doesn’t understand the concept of love, and I’m not sure he has the capacity for it either. Don’t mistake his generosity toward me for love, I don’t.’

“Are you sure you’re fifteen?” Patrick shook his head at her. She could be disturbingly insightful at times. “Your father wants to see you for lunch. Shall we?”

* * *

 

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: Arcturus._

_It’s not so bad here._

_Admiral Hackett’s a lot stricter than my father. Sorry your dad said you couldn’t come to Arcturus. I’m not sure Hackett would let me travel anywhere on my own at the moment._

_I’m finishing up my last two years of school at the Academy, and then I think I’ll join the Alliance. I know, I know, I said I wasn’t going to follow in my dad’s footsteps. I just want to make a difference and I think I can do that in the Alliance._

_Walker_

* * *

 

‘I don’t need you to treat me like a baby. I am mute, not incompetent.’ Sonnet used the speech application on her omni-tool to speak for her. ‘I don't want to be mutilated again; I don't care if it's by doctors this time.  They don't know if they can give me back my voice.’

"We _will_ try."

‘No, we _will_ not.’ She turned blazing blue eyes towards her father. ‘And to think I'd hoped the whispers about you weren't true.’

"I've been patient; I waited until you were settled here to broach the subject." He spoke in crisp tones that told her he had no intention of really listening to her. "My patience has reached its limit.  You will let my doctors evaluate you."

 _‘No._ ’

“Sonnet? Please?” Jack stepped closer toward her. He rested a hand on her shoulder. “Haven’t you been marked long enough?”

‘I don’t want to be experimented on.’ Sonnet had heard snippets of conversations between some of her father’s employees about research labs. She didn’t understand some of it, but…what she did grasp scared her. ‘I don’t want some weird tech shoved into my brain.’

The hand on her shoulder tightened to the point of pain. Sonnet tilted her head to look up at her father. He squeezed harder then released her and stormed to the opposite end of the table to retrieve his glass of scotch. He took a long swig of the amber liquid. She had to give him credit for at least attempting to control his temper.

Sonnet reached out to run her fingers through Treble’s fur. He sat beside her chair at most meals. She brought him with her because it amused her when he growled at her father. He did so now when Jack moved over toward her again.

“I’ll offer a compromise to you. No experimental tech or procedures, the doctors will only check to see if they can surgically repair the damage to your throat.” He crossed his arms and glared down at her while ignoring Treble who continued to growl periodically at him. “It’s as far as I am willing to go. You _will_ do this even if I have to have Patrick tranquilize you and carry you into the operating room.”

She shook with rage and fear while watching her father stroll confidently out of the dining room. She bent forward to rest her head against the cool marble table top. A hand came to rest on her back causing her to flinch violently.

“I won’t let his doctors experiment on you, Sonnet,” Patrick promised. “He assigned me to protect you at all costs. I will do that. I’ll be in the room the entire time monitoring what they do to you.”

‘Promises are dangerous things.’ Sonnet leaned away from the food in front of her. Her appetite had gone completely. ‘Two years.’

“What?”

‘I have two years. I just have to avoid angering him for two years and then I’ll be free to attend whatever college I wish.’ She shut down the omni-tool app and got to her feet. She’d said enough for one day.

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Patrick Hoch_

_Subj: re: Doctors._

_We do have at least one doctor inside Cerberus. I’ll try to see if she can maneuver herself onto the team that will be working on Sonnet._

_Have you made any further progress accessing the files?_

_Steven_

* * *

 

_From: Sonnet Wells_

_To: Walker Shepard_

_Subj: My voice._

_My dad made me agree to being operated on. I said no, but he doesn’t really take no for an answer most days._

_Patrick promised to stay in the room with me. He looked funny in doctor’s gear. He’s become someone I trust, even though it’s barely been a month._

_The surgery worked. I’ve got my voice back to normal._

_Still ticked off at my dad._

_Sonnet_

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Leaning against the bookshelf near the door to Sonnet’s room, Patrick watched over the eighteen year old as she read through a datapad one of her father’s operatives had just delivered to her. In the three years he had known her, Sonnet had morphed from a young teen into a beautiful woman.   She had a graceful, quiet strength about her. It was understated compared to the overpowering nature of her father.

Her stylist had trimmed Sonnet’s brown hair to shoulder length. Instead of the t-shirt, jeans and sneakers she’d been wearing when he found her. She tended to wearing impeccably tailored clothing that made her look in her early twenties and not eighteen. He thought it was a pointed statement to her father about her growing independence.

The _Illusive Man_ had tried for three years to force carefully selected friendships on his daughter. Patrick had been impressed at how Sonnet handled it all. She refused to allow the man to dictate her life and the people in it. She was polite and cordial, but incredibly effective at appearing to agree to his demands while doing exactly the opposite. She had a subtlety which Jack Harper would never have.

“I’m going to Columbia University.” Sonnet held out the datapad in her hand to Treble who sniffed at it then flopped down at her feet uninterested. She turned her attention to Patrick, waving him over. “I was accepted, and I’ve carefully saved up a lot of the credits Dad has thrown at me in the past couple of years. Even if he refuses to pay for college, I have enough to cover it myself.”

“Have you even told him?”

Sonnet glanced over at him with a bemused smile. “He monitors my messages.”

He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was when she admitted to knowing her father monitored her extra-net account along with her conversations on the vid-comm. “How long have you known?”

“I’m not a fool, Patrick.” Sonnet took the datapad with her orientation packet back from him. “I know it the same way that I know you aren’t actually visiting family every couple of months when you leave for Earth. How is your _Uncle Steven_?”

While Patrick kept his face blank, it was impossible not to feel a surge of shock go through him. He had no idea Sonnet even had a suspicion about his connection to the Alliance. He held up his hand to stop her from saying anything further while reaching into his pocket to trigger the disruptor he kept in his pocket. It would block any monitoring devices in the room for the next ten minutes.

“How do you know?” He crouched in front of her, ignoring the wary growling coming from Treble.

“Walker.” Sonnet bent forward and kept her voice low. “He mentioned a Patrick who came to visit a few times while he was staying with _Uncle Steven_. The timing always coincided with your vacations. You’re my only friend here aside from Treble so don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

Patrick ignored Treble who shifted forward when he placed a hand on Sonnet’s arm. “One of my jobs is to keep you safe; it’s…both Uncle Steven and I were close friends with your mother before you were born. The moment we realized you were going to be here, the nature of my operation changed to a protection detail.”

“Why?”

“ _Uncle Steven_ made a promise to your mother to keep you safe from the manipulations of your father.” Patrick glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’ll explain more later. I can’t block the monitoring devices for too long or it will look suspicious.”

“I understand.” Sonnet squeezed the hand on her arm then smiled down at her growling dog. “He’s one of the good guys, Treble. You better look out for him too.”

Patrick was about to laugh, but stopped when he noticed Treble giving him an assessing look. The German Shepard licked both of their hands before dropping back down to the floor. “He’s disturbingly intelligent at times.”

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Patrick Hoch_

_Subj: re: Sonnet._

_She’s a smart girl and her mother’s daughter. I’m actually surprised she didn’t realize it earlier. I’m worried about how Jack will handle her wanting to be on Earth for her education. It’s going to affect your undercover operation if he keeps you as her personal security._

_Are we any closer to getting through the last layers of their systems into the Cerberus operation files?_

_If at all possible, I’d say get the tracking program into the system right before Sonnet is ready to leave for college. It would keep you away from suspicion of it’s detected at any point._

_Now that Sonnet knows about my connection to her mother, I think I’ll find a way to introduce myself to her. Her friendship with Walker would provide a perfect excuse to run into her at Columbia. We’ll think on it._

_Keep me updated._

_Steven_

* * *

 

The following morning, Sonnet woke up with her brief conversation with Patrick still running through her head. She had finished showering and was picking out an outfit when it struck her that an Alliance investigation into her father meant he was up to far more than she ever imagined. It made her even happier that she was going to New York City for college. The distance from Jack would be a very good thing.

Her father had kept her away from the darker side of his business while trying to groom her to be the beautiful, elegant front of Cerberus to the rest of humanity. Sonnet had no illusions about it. When her education was complete, he would start insisting on her help to bring his organization from the shadows into the public eye more. He likely believed her young, fresh face and intelligent mind would sway or at least distract people from the more nefarious actions.

She’d only really heard rumors about the things Cerberus did. Her extra-net searches hadn’t found anything. If her father was monitoring her activities, it was likely that he was also ensuring she couldn’t find anything related to Cerberus.

Treble nudged her hand until she patted him absently. He seemed to sense her unease and he pushed against her black pants. Sonnet sank down to her knees to wrap her arms around the dog. She was thankful her cashmere shawl-collar sweater was a deep brown so the dog fur wouldn’t be quite so visible. He helped calm her nerves down enough that she could walk calmly out of her room toward the dining area to meet with her father for breakfast.

She pulled on her high-heeled boots and walked with as much confidence as she could muster with Treble at her side. It always amused her to watch Jack’s jaw tighten when her dog growled at him. She sat at the end of the long table and waited for her normal breakfast of fruit, a cheese and mushroom omelet and wheat toast to arrive.

“I understand you’ve decided to attend Columbia University starting in September.” He reminded her of a vulture waiting patiently for its next meal to die. “I would’ve preferred to be consulted on matters of your education.”

“Of course.” Sonnet slowly wiped the crumbs from her fingertips before giving him more of an answer. “I wasn’t aware you were actually interested in my plans. Besides, you have just demonstrated how closely you monitor my messages. I can assume you already knew about my plans for higher education.”

“ _Sonnet.”_

“Yes?” She reached out to rest her hand on Treble’s head. “Do you have a problem with Columbia? It’s one of the top schools for the career path that I want to go down.”

“At eighteen, what could you possibly know about picking a career path?” He tapped his fingers on the dining room table.

“I’m your daughter, not a ‘poster for humanity.’” Sonnet knew her frustration was starting to show a little too much. She needed to move the conversation on quickly if it all possible. “I told you my interests were in art. I’m going to study art history and archaeology at Columbia for my bachelor’s. Then I’m either going to stay there for my masters or move to London for masters in a Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art in London.”

The smile her father gave her wasn’t exactly parentally pleasant. He _informed_ her that her tuition had already been paid for. He’d also added a large sum of credits to her account for books. He would have a real estate agent contact her shortly to discuss where she would live. His daughter would _not_ be staying in the dorms.

“I’ll agree as long as you _agree_ not to spy on my messages again.” Sonnet didn’t really believe him when he agreed, but wanted to give him a chance.

* * *

 

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: New York City._

_So when do you move into the apartment?_

_Uncle Steven is getting me shore-leave to come visit you._

_Walker_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Jacquelyn Evans_

_To: Sonnet Harper_

_Subj: Your Father._

_He would like to remind you that the funds sent to you were for purchasing books and supplies for your first year at university. Make sure you use the credits wisely._

_He would also like you to remember that you are not to go anywhere without Patrick._

_He would appreciate it if you could tell your classmates about the good work his organization does._

_Jacquelyn_

* * *

 

Since leaving for New York City, Sonnet had received what felt like an endless stream of reminders from her father’s secretary. He didn’t believe in messaging for…little things like asking how his only daughter was doing in her new apartment. She’d resigned herself to the idea that her father would never be a… _father._

_Not like she needed one._

The apartment Sonnet had picked out was a loft with an open concept in a building not far from her university. It was on the top floor, of course, with a perfect view across the city. She’d used her father’s not so hard-earned credits to decorate it. She’d gone with a minimalist approach of stark white with grey and black accents. It felt very grown-up to her.

Sonnet had already visited Columbia the day before to go through orientation and pick up her books. She had a feeling the message from Jacquelyn had more to do with her redoing her wardrobe and purchasing a skycar. She’d done it mostly to piss her father off. It hadn’t worked. He didn’t really give a damn how much she spent as long as she played the perfect daughter.

She was playing fetch with Treble in the living area when Patrick arrived with _guests._ She stood slowly and ordered the already growling dog to curl up on the large pillow in the corner of the room. It would avoid him aggressively inspecting the two men standing behind her trusted guard.

“Walker.” She smiled broadly at her friend who she hadn’t seen since leaving Mindoir and then found herself swept up in a massive bear hug. She waited until he’d set her down to hold her hand out confidently toward the distinguished looking man with greying hair would stood beside Patrick. “You must be Admiral Hackett.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Hackett’s hand was strong and warm. He covered hers with both of his before letting her go. “Walker speaks very highly of you and I’ve, of course, heard quite a bit about your father.”

Sonnet canted her head to the side while she assessed the man. He was incredibly handsome, but had a sharpness similar to her dad’s. It wasn’t as…abrasive or terrifying as Jack Harper’s though so she answered him with a little more honestly than she might’ve normally. “I’m not my father, Admiral. He and I differ on many, many things. If you’ve come here expecting me to divulge his secrets however, it’s going to take more than bringing an old friend to visit and your handsome face to convince me.”

“He won’t be staying long enough for anything of the sort.” Patrick’s eyes had narrowed on her when she called Hackett handsome. “And we’ll talk about divulging secrets later.”

“I’m young, Patrick, not blind or incompetent.” Sonnet patted the side of her leg and a few seconds later Treble was at her side. “Walker and I are taking Treble for a walk. You are staying here with your handsome Admiral while you figure out what exactly you wanted to happen with this visit. I recommend ordering some of that delicious takeout from the place around the corner.”

“Cashew chicken again?” Patrick called after her sounding as amused as he always was with her ‘mini-adult’ routine. “Stay by the park across the street.”

“ _Of course.”_ Sonnet had no doubts that the moment the door to the elevators closed, Patrick would be calling the back-up security posted downstairs to follow her to the park. She smiled up at Walker as they stood in the lift. “How’s the Alliance?”

“Tough,” he shrugged. “Is everything all right with your Dad? You never really used to like talking about him.”

It was Sonnet’s turn to shrug. She wasn’t sure how much the Admiral or Patrick had told Walker about Jack Harper. She didn’t really feel like talking about it. She shifted the conversation over to Walker’s upcoming assignment to one of the larger ships in the fleet. He seemed happy with the shift in topic.

The two walked Treble for almost an hour before heading back to the apartment. Hackett and Patrick were in a heated debate when they arrived. The two men stopped speaking mid-sentence when Treble raced into the living area. Sonnet thought Patrick seemed incredibly angry about something.

She ignored the plate of food he held out to her. “What happened?”

“It’s not important.”

“ _Patrick.”_ She kept her voice low. “Did he give you an order you don’t want to follow?”

“Eat your cashew chicken.”

Sonnet glanced briefly at the plate before spearing Hackett with a glare. “I’d rather not have indigestion before I’ve taken a bite. So what exactly is it that you expect me to give you?”

“ _Sonnet.”_

“How many times do I have to remind you? I might have inherited my mother’s style, beauty and inherent sense of fairness, but I also have my father’s savvy and ruthless intelligence.” Sonnet set the plate down on the counter. “If I won’t let him push me around, I won’t let the Alliance do it either. Just because I’m eighteen doesn’t mean I don’t possess a sense of self-reservation. So I ask again, what does the Alliance want?”

“Children have been going missing from remote colonies. We believe the Illusive Man and Cerberus are behind the disappearances. We’d like you to try to confirm it for us.” Hackett ignored the hand Patrick placed on his shoulder. “Anything you can provide us to shut Cerberus down would be incredibly helpful.”

“What’s in it for me?” Sonnet plucked a piece of chicken from her plate and popped it into her mouth.

“A gracious thank you from a handsome Admiral?” Hackett smiled at her.

“Try again.” She crossed her arms and kept her face suitably blank. She’d practiced her father’s blank expression until she could mimic it perfectly. It was a handy thing to have mastered. “I’m not a man, so your pretty face won’t sway me.”

Hackett ignored the amused snort from Patrick. “What do you want?”

“Nothing you can give me.” Sonnet tapped her fingers against her arm. “Why don’t you come back when you have an idea of who I am and what you can offer to me? Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to eat my dinner while watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s. You are all welcome to join me, but if you mention Cerberus or the Illusive Man, I’ll let Treble use your face for a chew toy.”

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Sonnet Harper-Wells_

_Subj: Offers._

_You’re an impressive young woman. Walker said it wouldn’t be as simple as asking you to do it. I underestimated you, my apologies for doing so._

_I know you don’t approve of what Cerberus does and I think you want to stop the Illusive Man. I would wager it’s complicated by the fact that he happens to be your father. He’s your only living relative and it’s not an easy thing to ask you to betray him._

_The only advice I can give to you is that family is more than blood._

_The only thing I can offer to you is friendship. I don’t think monetary compensation would mean anything to you. You’re not interested in joining the Alliance so my military clout is meaningless to you._

_Think about it._

_Steven_

* * *

 

_From: Sonnet Wells_

_To: Steven Hackett_

_Subj: re: Offers._

_Thank you._

_I accept your apology and friendship._

_I think you have over-estimated my knowledge of the inner workings of Cerberus. My father might want me to be a friendlier face of his organization, but he keeps everything hidden from me. It’s not going to be simple for me to find anything useful out for you._

_I’m not saying yes, yet._

_I want more information on what exactly it is that you think I can do and how I will accomplish it._

_And…sorry I threatened to let my dog eat your face off. I like your face._

_Sonnet_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apartment References:  
> http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92054473721  
> http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92054016691/aumonique-white-interiors-equate-to-a-clear  
> http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92053986796/216interiors-kitchen-by-allmilmo-germany  
> http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92053850011/m-wear-minimalistic-all-white-apartment-in


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Patrick Hoch_

_To: Steven Hackett_

_Subj: Akuze._

_Isn’t Akuze some boondock little colony way out in the middle of nowhere?_

_Why exactly do you need both Shepard and I to go with the unit out there? Do you really believe Cerberus is planning something?_

_Sonnet’s graduation is this coming week. She’ll be upset if I’m not there. Can’t this wait?_

_Patrick_

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Patrick Hoch_

_Subj: re: Akuze._

_It has to be this weekend._

_You should be back in plenty of time for her graduation. We’ve been waiting for over four years for the Illusive Man to make a mistake. I think this might just be the perfect opportunity._

_Sonnet’s heading to London for her master’s program. There are rumors going around that Cerberus is almost finished building their new station. It’s enough upheaval that it might be the only chance we get._

_And it’s an order, so no, it can’t wait._

_Steven_

* * *

 

When Sonnet walked across the stage to receive her diploma, she noticed immediately the empty chair where Patrick should’ve been.   Jacquelyn, the _Illusive Man’s_ secretary, sat in her father’s seat taking a vid of the ceremony. She was more worried about the missing Patrick than her always absent father.

A week after graduation, Patrick still hadn’t shown up or responded to any of her messages.

Hackett had sent her a coded note to be on her guard. Walker had been gravely injured on Akuze and an entire Alliance unit had been massacred. The next words in the message sent her heart plummeting, Patrick was believed to be among the missing, presumed dead. They’d managed to recover most of the bodies of the dead marines, but Patrick and two others were still unaccounted for.

_Presumed dead._

And the third metaphorical punch to her stomach was the knowledge of her father’s potential involvement. It was almost too much to bear. Sonnet knew Cerberus dabbled in a lot of incredibly horrific things. She didn’t find it difficult to imagine their being behind the murders of an Alliance squad.

With Treble by her side, Sonnet head into the lion’s den. Her father had invited her to spend her brief summer break with him before she headed to London. He claimed to want to spend the last few weeks at the Cerberus headquarters outside of Los Angeles with her. And yet, it wasn’t a massive shock when he wasn’t there to see her when she arrived.

Her main goal at going ‘home’ was to find something, anything, about Patrick.

“Ms. Harper-Wells?” Jacquelyn greeted her as she stepped out of the shuttle on the landing pad inside of the compound. “May I escort you to your suite? The Illusive Man will see you later.”

“Of course he will.” Sonnet waved off the woman’s help and walked with Treble following close behind.

Once settled in her room, Sonnet changed out of her dress into jeans and a black turtleneck. She knew her father had security cameras everywhere, but he’d never stopped her from exploring the compound. The Cerberus operatives usually ignored her presence entirely, particularly if Patrick was with her. She figured she could easily sneak around until she found him or information about his disappearance.

She’d also taking time before leaving New York City to grab a cloaking device from one of her friends who designed experimental technology. He’d promised it would create a field large enough to cover her and Treble. He _hadn’t_ promised any level of consistency. It was _experimental_.

Admiral Hackett had been very specific when he told her _not_ risk her safety. Sonnet decided to pretend she hadn’t understood that particular part of his coded message. It was Patrick after all—the closest thing to a protective and caring father she’d known. She had to discover for certain what the truth was.

Step one of her plan was simple, Sonnet went to the canteen at supper time with headphones on, but the music turned off. It wasn’t long before she overheard several interesting conversations around her. The first was regarding two Alliance officers captured by one of the research teams. The second was about interrogation cells set up at the farthest corner of the compound.

_Interrogation cells?_

She didn’t particularly like the sound of _interrogation_ cells.

Sonnet sent a short message to Hackett about what she’d heard and her plan to discover more. She then made her way across the compound. She ducked around corners quickly to avoid operatives in the dark. She’d activated the cloak in one of the blind spots then moved quickly with Treble so close he brushed against her leg.

On a scale of one to ten, Sonnet thought her chances of success was likely in the negative. She tried to avoid considering the consequences of being caught. It wouldn’t be too difficult to convince them she was lost, would it?

Snooping was never going to become a talent of hers, Sonnet narrowly avoided bumping into at least three different operatives and failed to miss clipping a fourth with her elbow.   The man was thankfully so bewildered by getting struck by _nothing_ that Sonnet had enough time to dart around a corner and continue on.   She even managed to knock over a small tower of crates before finally sneaking into the building housing the cells.

It was with a remarkably amount of good luck that Sonnet found Patrick sitting on a cot in the second sealed room she looked into. It took her almost thirty minutes to get the door open. He wasn’t very grateful when she appeared inside.

“Have you lost your mind?” Patrick shoved her into a corner ignoring Treble’s low growls. “Your father won’t forgive this level of betrayal from you. He’ll kill both of us.”

Sonnet’s eyes hardened when she caught sight of lines of fresh medi-gel healed scarring along his face, neck and arms. They’d obviously tortured him, and then healed him to keep him alive for more questioning. “I won’t forgive him for this either.”

“You _have_ to get out of here.” Patrick tried to guide her out of the room.

Sonnet wrapped her arm around his to draw him close into the cloaked field. “Experimental tech borrowed from a friend at Columbia.”

“Is there a plan beyond sneaking me out of this building?” Patrick limped as he walked beside her.

“Uhm. Yes?” She whispered as they skirted around the security control room and moved on toward the exit. “Can you fly a shuttle?”

“That’s your big plan?”

“Do you have a better one?” Sonnet thought the man could at least say thank you. _Honestly._ “I told Hackett what I was doing. I imagine he’s probably already got a unit on the way here.”

“You imagine?” Patrick pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled _loudly._ “You imagine. If we actually survive the escape, we’re going to have a very long conversation about taking ridiculously stupid risks.”

They were a few feet away from the shuttle when a barely audible click sounded and the experimental tech demonstrated why it was _experimental._ Patrick grabbed Sonnet by the arm and immediately started to drag her toward the nearest shuttle. Treble trotted alongside them.

She was nearing panic when all of a sudden the power to the entire compound was cut. Patrick guided her quickly into the shuttle and immediately rushed up to the pilot’s chair to get the Kodiak off the ground. He seemed to think the Alliance likely had something to do with the loss of power. It was now or never to make their escape.

Patrick didn’t seem as surprised as Sonnet when they found an Alliance cruiser at the docking bay in Los Angeles waiting for them. She found herself seated in a conference room with both Patrick and Admiral Hackett glaring at her. She ignored them and focused on petting Treble’s head while he growled at the two men.

“Is there a problem?” She finally asked when the silence became too annoying. “You had two missing officers. I found one of them for you. I await your offers of gratitude and repayment.”

“You can sit your pretty ass down and wait for a long damn time.” Patrick scowled at her. “How the hell do you think I would’ve felt if you’d gotten yourself killed trying to rescue me?”

“About the same as I would’ve felt if I’d found out you were tortured and murdered while I sat on my ‘pretty ass’ and did nothing to stop it.” Sonnet brushed non-existent lint from her jeans. “I’m not eighteen anymore, Patrick. I’m a grown woman, even if I’m young. I might not have your military experience, but I do have a modicum of intelligence and ingenuity. It was a risk, but a calculated one. My friend will hack into the Cerberus’ systems to make it appear that an Alliance raid led to your rescue. I’ve sent Jacquelyn and my father a message letting them know I was invited to a party in the city, which is where you will drop me off. I will be surprised and delighted to discover Patrick’s sudden reappearance when I return to London in the morning to move into my new apartment.”

“ _Sonnet.”_

“Yes?” She turned cool, blue eyes towards Patrick. “Is there a problem with my plan?”

“Do _not_ ever take a risk like that again.” He strode across the room to hug her. “Not for me.”

“Then who else?” She rested her hand on Treble’s head to calm the dog. “Is there anyone else in my life aside from my dog that’s important enough to risk anything for? Walker, maybe. The Admiral’s pretty, but I wouldn’t risk my life for just a pretty face.”

“ _SONNET.”_

“I’m still waiting for offers of gratitude.” She smiled unrepentantly up at Patrick when he moved back.

_“Thank you.”_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back from vacation and starting to feel better from the cold of doom, so I thought I'd post something, even if it's just a little thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: Insane._

_You are insane._

_‘Uncle Steven’ filled me in on your party in Los Angeles._

_Are you sure being an art curator is the right career path for you? You sound like you need a little more adventure in your life._

_Glad you’re okay._

_It’s nice that Patrick surprised you in London._

_I’m finally medically cleared for duty. I start n-school in a little under a week. I’m excited about it. It’s a new adventure and a great chance for me._

_Why exactly is Patrick so annoyed with Uncle Steven?_

_Walker_

* * *

 

Sonnet didn’t think Walker really wanted to know why Patrick was on edge around ‘Uncle Steven.’ The Admiral had been remarkably receptive to her subtle attempts at flirting with him. He also didn’t act like an utter moron around her like most of the _boys_ around her.

_He was strong, savvy and in control._

It was an intoxicating mixture all wrapped up in a sharp-dressed man. Sonnet couldn’t help her growing attraction to the man, even with Patrick’s obvious disapproval. He all but growled every time the two of them were in the same room together.

For the most part, Sonnet’s experiences with the opposite sex had been lackluster at best. The ‘boys’ at her university were fun to play with, but they tended to disappear when they caught sight of her armed guard. Treble’s snarling didn’t encourage them much either.

It had eventually led to her deciding not to waste her time dating.

_What was the point?_

Plus, her father tended to enjoy scaring them off. They might make it through a first date or two, but the scary operatives showing up at their doors ended any interest on their part. Sonnet probably should’ve been grateful that none of her dates had disappeared mysteriously _and_ permanently.

She sank down into the lush, leather couch in her new apartment in London with a sigh. Treble draped himself across her feet and started to snore. Her classes were supposed to start up in the next week, but her mind wasn’t on them.

Since Patrick’s _miraculous_ reappearance, Sonnet hadn’t heard much from her father. She had no idea if he knew of her involvement in the rescue. They were fairly confident no footage survived including her, but the coincidence of her _leaving_ for Los Angeles the same night Patrick was rescued would’ve been too much for the Illusive Man to ignore.

It was an instance where his silence was speaking volumes.

_Scary volumes._

She could feel Patrick’s eyes on her from where he was working on a terminal across the room. “Spit it out, Patrick.”

“Why Steven?”

Sonnet blinked a few times in confusion at him. “Why Steven what?”

“Why were you flirting with him?” Patrick leaned back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest.

“He’s attractive and I’m not dead?” Sonnet shrugged. “Why are you still worked up about it? It’s not like anything happened. We flirted. I believe you’ll find adults often flirt.”

“ _Sonnet.”_

“I _will_ not be dictated to, Patrick. Not on flirting or anything else.” Sonnet got to her feet, careful not to step on Treble as she moved across the room. “My life for the most part has been a farce, a carefully orchestrated play acted out on shifting sands. I enjoyed flirting with the Admiral. I don’t have the luxury of indulging myself often; I refuse to allow you or anyone else to guilt me out of it.”

Patrick scrubbed his face with his fingers for a moment then frowned at her. “I’m sorry.”

“Why on Earth are you sorry?” Sonnet casually adjusted the collar of her jacket. “I work within the confines I’ve been given, none of that is your fault.”

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: Art._

_There is an art exhibition in Buenos Aires, my hometown, in a few weeks._

_Would you like to attend with me?_

_Steven_


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

“What the _hell_ are you wearing?” Patrick had been looking through messages on his omni-tool while Sonnet worked with her stylist to find a dress for some event. He lifted his eyes when she called his name only to be stunned by the vision in front of him. “You are _not_ wearing that…what is that?”

“I believe most people would refer to it as a dress.” Sonnet glanced down at the flow of fabric clinging to her legs. “Did you become versed in fashion when I wasn’t looking?”

“You are _not_ wea…”

She spun around to glare him into silence. “If you hadn’t noticed, Patrick, I’m almost twenty-four years old. Could you perhaps pretend you understand that I’m not your daughter and not a child?”

He felt like she’d dumped a bucket of ice down his shirt. “ _Of course._ ”

“Patrick.”

He went back to looking through the messages in his inbox. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”

“Patrick.” She crouched in front of him, careful not to put her heel through the dress. She pulled his hands down so he wasn’t looking at his omni-tool. “You are the closest thing to a father that I’ve had since my uncle died. I’m sorry. It was cruel of me to say what I did, even if you are just upset with me for going to this exhibit.”

“I don’t mind the exhibit or Hackett, _much_ , but that dress…” He tried _not_ to look at the way the light grey fabric fit her. “How about a very large sack?”

“ _No._ ” Sonnet’s smile morphed from one which looked terrifyingly like her father into a sweeter smile. She patted his hand then pushed herself up. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“I forget sometimes that I’m not alone.” She toyed with the sleeve of the dress. “I’m still wearing it.”

“Treble’s coming with us.”

“Of course.” Sonnet raised an eyebrow at him. “Why?”

“You simply don’t get the impact you’re going to have on any man who sees you in that thing.” Patrick felt his blood pressure rising just at the thought. “Your father messaged me.”

The happy, light smile evaporated from Sonnet’s face so quickly Patrick almost wondered if he’d imagined it.   Since his rescue, there hadn’t been much from Jack Harper. He’d restricted his contract through his secretary.   Patrick and Sonnet had been waiting for the other shoe to drop and it finally had.

“He’s disappointed you haven’t attempted to bring some of your friends into the Cerberus fold.” Patrick paraphrased the message. “He’s hoping you’ll visit him during the upcoming holiday.”

“He’s demanding I visit him,” Sonnet corrected sharply. “I’m still amazed he’s pretending you weren’t missing.”

“I wasn’t.” Patrick gave her a warning look to keep her voice low. “He knew exactly where I was.”

She waved her stylist over and muttered instructions to the woman before responding to Patrick. “I’m unfortunately very busy this holiday. I’ve accepted an internship at a prestigious gallery in London.”

_“Sonnet.”_

* * *

 

_From: Jacquelyn Evans_

_To: Sonnet Harper_

_Subj: re: invitation._

_Your father is very disappointed you’ve decided not to accept his generous invitation to spend a few days with him during your upcoming university break._

_He has decided to visit you instead._

_I will be sending his itinerary once it is confirmed._

_Jacquelyn_

* * *

 

As Hackett wandered around the gallery, he found himself regretting his decision to attend the art exhibition since Sonnet had claimed she was unable to attend. He was speaking with the organizer when he caught a glimpse of a woman in an exquisite grey dress. She’d disappeared by the time he disentangled himself from the conversation.

Wandering over to the small bar set up in a corner, Hackett grabbed a scotch and took a sip while surveying the crowd. He was hoping to catch a glimpse. He’d thought for the briefest moment it was Sonnet. It would’ve been just like her to show up after declining.

“I’ll have a glass of champagne, please.” Sonnet stepped up beside him and gestured toward the bartender. She offered the young man a smile when he was quick to get a drink to her. “Thank you.”

Hackett chose _not_ to mention the napkin the young bartender slid over to Sonnet with what appeared to be his contact information. Her eyes were filled with laughter when she finally glanced away from the bartender up at the Admiral. He frowned at the bartender then took Sonnet by the elbow to lead her away.

“He’s very sweet.” Sonnet lifted the napkin to show the barely legible scrawl.

“Sweet?”

Sonnet laughed then and gripped his arm while she attempted to regain her composure. “Are you jealous of a bartender?”

“ _No._ ”

“I think you protested rather quickly, Admiral.” She sipped her champagne and gestured toward one of the larger canvasses on display. “I met the artist last year. She’s going to be one of the greats if she can avoid any mistakes.”

“Mistakes?” Hackett couldn’t imagine what sort of mistakes an artist could make.

“She might choose to have an affair with a man from a different world from hers.” Sonnet deftly guided him through the gallery as if she’d been there a million times. “He’d be older, naturally, and more _worldly._  He would be congratulated on his conquest while she would be criticized for sacrificing her youth and career when it reality she would’ve done neither.”

“And you met this artist how many times?”

“Just once.”

“Once?”

Sonnet set her glass on a passing server’s tray and glanced seriously up at him. “You enjoy flirting too much.”

Deciding they needed to have a conversation without Patrick glaring at them, Hackett lead her into a private sitting room off of the main hall. He pulled two chairs close together so they could sit across from each other.

“Aren’t you going to disagree with me?” Sonnet laughed when he shrugged. “My father is coming to visit me at the end of this term.”

Hackett looked at the young woman sitting just within reach across from him. Their chairs pulled so closely together that their knees almost touched. He finally broke the stalemate and brought his hands up to cover hers which were clasped together. She stiffened briefly then relaxed into his touch.

“He’ll know we spent time together.” Sonnet stared down at their hands. He wondered if she ever relaxed enough to not worry about her life as if it were chess board with her struggling for control against her father. “He’s not pleased with me right now, and I have every hope he’ll be even less so once he finds out where I spent my weekend.”

“Are you using me?”

“Yes.” Her keen, intelligent eyes focused sharply on him. “And what _precisely_ were you doing when you invited me here? This had nothing to do with my love of art or your desire to flirt with me more. I like you, Admiral. I find you attractive. I have enough charades in my life and I won’t play with you as well.”

“I wasn’t…”

“You weren’t trying to piss Patrick off by inviting me to such a public event where he’d clearly have to play bodyguard without any say in whose arm I was on?” Sonnet carefully extracted her hands from his and shifted her chair back very slightly. “I’m no fool, Steven. Why am I here?”

“Because I’ve been wanting to do this for longer than I should.” Hackett grabbed the arms of her chair to drag her close enough their knees bumped. His hands shifted up to rest gently, but firmly along the sides of her neck. He eased forward until he could almost taste her. “Say no.”

Sonnet’s lips quirked into a smile then suddenly she pressed them forward. He felt her breathe a whispered yes into the kiss. He slid his fingers around to grip the back of her neck to hold her close.

“Oh _for the love of god._ ” Patrick’s aggravated sigh echoed through the small room. “I leave you alone for one damn second and you’re kissing.”

Hackett rested his forehead against Sonnet’s. “He’s very paternal.”

“The cross I bear,” Sonnet whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonnet's Dress: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100323280976/citygirldiaries-ralph-lauren-fall-2014


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

“You _kissed_ him.” Patrick was still grumbling about it three weeks later. “You. Kissed. Him.”

“It was _harmless._ ” Sonnet ignored him to continue straightening up her already impeccably cleaned apartment. “A harmless kiss.”

“Did you just refer to Steven Hackett as harmless?” Patrick frowned when she began dusting a bookshelf for the seventh time. “Sonnet. I won’t let your father hurt you.”

She hesitated before lowering her arm and setting the duster aside. “He isn’t coming for tea or to talk about art.”

“No.”

Sonnet gave a weak smile. “A confrontation has been simmering under the surface since the day you plucked me from that grain bin on Mindoir. The Illusive Man demands repayment for all the credits he’s spent on me. He wants his daughter to be a beautiful puppet to lull people into believing Cerberus’ altruistic front.”

“Sonnet…”

“I’ll never be free of it.” She rested her fingers on Treble’s head. The dog had been slowing down in the past year or so. “Do you think you could find a quiet place for Treble to retire in peace?”

“Retire?”

She sank down to her knees to bury her face in his furry neck. “He’s getting old.”

“Worry about it after the _visit._ ” Patrick kept his own concern from her. Sonnet was rattled and showing it for the first time that he could remember. “It’s going to be fine.”

* * *

 

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Steven Hackett_

_Subj: Concerned._

_I can’t get shore-leave, but I’m worried about Sonnet._

_Can’t the Alliance or you do something about Cerberus?_

_Sonnet hides it well, but something about her dad coming to see her this time has her afraid._

_Walker_

* * *

 

Her father arrived at four in the afternoon at the exact time his itinerary said he would. Jacquelyn was nowhere to be seen though the four _security_ guards were very prominent. They were supposedly for _his_ protection. The way they’d blocked off both sides of her front door with their rifles in their arms seemed to contradict his claim.  They didn't look like a protective detail.  

With a low growl rumbling constantly in his throat, Treble stayed glued to Sonnet’s side. Patrick leaned casually against the wall across from the front door. She knew him well enough to know there was nothing casually about the way he stood. She also had a feeling his time at the terminal earlier had nothing to do with _letters home_. He was as worried as she was.

“Sonnet.”

She glanced over at her father. “Yes?”

“Aren’t you going to greet me properly?” He held his arms out as if for a hug.

Sonnet shifted her attention from his open arms to the two armed operatives who had moved up behind him. “No.”

“No?”

“Why are you here, Jack?” Sonnet _didn’t_ step backwards when he stalked toward her. She rested her hand on Treble’s head to hide the trembling in his fur and calm him down. “What do you want?”

He appeared to finally have lost his patience with her. He glanced briefly at the men behind him before focusing his gaze on Sonnet. “Take her. Dispose of the dog and bodyguard; I’ve no use for either of them. Any force necessary.”

“ _No._ ”

“You have more than enough scars, don’t fight them.” Her father spun on his heels and walked calmly toward the door.

The moment he was gone the four operatives he’d left behind sprang into action. Sonnet didn’t get a chance to jump away from the two in front of her. She didn’t need to. Patrick put a bullet through one and Treble sank his teeth into the second.

“He’ll be back.” Sonnet stared blankly down at the blood covering her clothes. “He will return with more men.”

Before Patrick could respond, the door opened and a unit of Alliance marines poured into the room. They secured the four Cerberus operatives while Patrick spoke with the Major in charge of the unit. Sonnet sank down on her now ruined couch and tried to shut all of the noise out.

“Sonnet?” Patrick crouched down in front of her. “We have to get you out of here.”

“No.” She shook her head stubbornly at him. “Where could I possibly go? I won’t…I have class…”

_“Sonnet.”_

“I bought this apartment with my own credits. I have an internship at a gallery, and I’m a year away from my degree.” Sonnet resisted the urge to itch at the dried blood in her arms. “I am _not_ abandoning my dreams because my father is the leader of a terrorist organization.”

“I might not be able to protect you.” Patrick motioned to the four body bags on the floor. “It will be more than four next time.”

“So I should run and hide?” Sonnet scoffed at him. “Where? Where exactly to you think I can hide that a man with his connections and funds wouldn’t be able to find me? Arcturus? You’re a fool if you think I’ll be safe anywhere.”

“Sonnet…”

She got to her feet to head over to her terminal. “I need to hire someone to clean the apartment. Are there businesses that clean up blood?”

_“Sonnet.”_

“He wants me afraid and weak. He wants me cowed.” Sonnet tilted her head to the side to look around Patrick at the stain on the floor. “I won’t give him the satisfaction.”

“You’re risking your life,” Patrick argued.

“I’m the daughter of a narcissistic murderer,” Sonnet shrugged. “When has my life not been at risk?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

For three hours, Sonnet sat on her white leather sofa and listened to the _men_ around her drone on and on about what _they_ would do about her safety. Patrick, Walker and the commander of the marine unit waxed impressively poetically about how _she_ shouldn’t stay in her flat. They wanted to move her to a base or better yet to Arcturus.   The final insult had been the look all three of them gave her when she tried to insert her opinion. 

It was a look Sonnet had seen quite often in her life. She was a beautiful woman working in the art field. She’d grown accustomed to people believing her incapable and unintelligent.

_She had enough of men dictating her life._

Sonnet slowly rose to her feet and tapped the side of her leg to draw Treble over to her. “You have less than a minute to remove yourselves from my apartment before I give Treble the command to attack.”

“Sonnet?” Patrick’s head snapped up from where he’d been looking at his omni-tool.

“All of you, out.” She pointed to the door. “And don’t come back.”

Patrick refused to move. “We aren’t…”

“My father sees me as nothing, but a beautiful puppet.” Sonnet signalled Treble who was immediately on guard. “I am thankful for the Alliance’s generous assistance over the past few years. I find myself no longer requiring their help.”

“Sonnet.” Patrick started towards her only to come up short when Treble stepped between them. “You need…”

“Someone who has faith in me.” Sonnet once against motioned toward the front door. “I want the apartment to myself. I need to think.”

The marines filed out first lead by their commander who didn’t appear to think much of Sonnet’s chances of survival. Walker and Patrick were harder to convince to leave. She had a feeling they’d be watching her anyway.

When the apartment was finally empty, Sonnet sat at her terminal to pull up her secure email address. She sent a message to one of her close friends from Columbia. Tristan Meadows was smug, cocky and loyal. He currently worked for his father’s security firm. He promised to bring his father over to meet her as soon as possible.

Trevor Meadows was a decorated marine who the Alliance had disavowed after a mission had gone badly. He’d started his company and insisted on hiring marines who found themselves in similar positions. Tristan had told her once his father liked to take on interesting jobs.

She leaned back in her chair to think through her next steps. Her father’s first steps would be to cut her off financially since brute force had failed. The last year of her schooling was already paid for and her apartment was in her name, so he couldn’t touch either of those. She also had enough credits siphoned off into accounts to cover her preferred style of life even after she graduated and had a job. She could also easily afford to hire new bodyguards.

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: Security._

_I wish you would reconsider Alliance help._

_Your father will try again._

_I’d like to take you out for dinner._

_Steven_

* * *

 

_From: Sonnet Wells_

_To: Steven Hackett_

_Subj: re: Security._

_I’ve taken care of the issue._

_Thank you for your concern._

_Sonnet_

* * *

 

She was prepared for Tristan who was always a little larger than life. She wasn’t prepared for his father.   Trevor Meadows stood a good two inches taller than his six foot two son. His blue eyes were a little darker, and a lot more serious than his son’s. It was hard to tell from the dark brown suit that he wore, but he looked as well muscled as she knew Tristan was.

“Sonnet.” Tristan yanked her up into a bear hug. “Tell the growling wolf hound to leave me alone.”

She waited until he set her back down on her feet to hold her hand out toward his father. “Mr. Meadows.”

“Trevor.” He corrected as his larger hand engulfed hers. “Tristan gave me a few of the details of your situation. How can we help?”

Pouring drinks for both men, Sonnet waited until they were comfortably situated in her living room to fill in the gaps of what they knew. She warmed somewhat immediately to Trevor when he not only took her seriously, but asked for her thoughts on how best to deal with Cerberus. He stepped out of the room to contact his office leaving Sonnet and Tristan alone.

“Stop checking out my dad’s ass.” Tristan grinned at her. “I saw it, don’t bother denying it.”

“Behave yourself, Tristan.” Sonnet shook her head at him. “How many times have I covered for all the guys’ asses you’ve checked out?”

“None of them were related to you.” He dodged the pillow she tossed at him. He glanced down at the stained rug that the cleaners hadn’t been by to remove yet. “How are you doing?”

“I am driven to prove everyone wrong.” She brushed dog hair from her trousers. “Is your dad single?”

“You are shameless. Aren’t you involved with that Admiral?” Tristan leaned in closer to whisper.

“We kissed,” she shrugged. “I have flings, Tristan, flings. Never anything serious. How can I possibly get serious with anyone when my father’s likely to kill me or them?”

“Fair point.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tristan: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100586474801/hotmalemodel-follow-hot-male-model-for-more-hot
> 
> Trevor: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100586417751/silverfoxmen-robert-goold-model-for


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Patrick Hoch_

_To: Steven Hackett_

_Subj: Security._

_Of course I’m not going to just leave her alone, even if she did kick our asses out of her apartment. We might’ve deserved it, but I won’t tell her that._

_I left two of the marines to look out for her while I give her some time to cool off. They spotted Trevor Meadows and his son heading up to her place after we left. I think she’s decided to hire security of her own. I know she met the son at Columbia. They studied together quite a bit._

_What do you know about Trevor Meadows? I know he was tossed on his ass by the Alliance, rumour has it that was unnecessary._

_And no, I have no idea what The Illusive Man’s next moves are going to be. He won’t give up. He can’t, he doesn’t like to lose._

_Patrick_

* * *

 

Within twenty-four hours, Sonnet had a lot of new things in her life including carpet, a security system and a security team. Trevor claimed he tended to personally handle the initial set-up with all of his clients. Tristan whispered to Sonnet that was total bullshit and got himself sent back to the hotel they were staying at.

The Meadows Firm didn’t have offices in London so they were creating a temporary one at a hotel across from Sonnet’s apartment building. She would eventually have a two person team permanently assigned to her. For the moment, Trevor and another man from the firm traded off with two other former Alliance officers in looking out for her.

The man in question would be arriving to take over from the team who handled the night shift shortly. Sonnet stood in front of her closet assessing her wardrobe. She always believed in making the best out of not so wonderful situations.

She pulled her hair back loosely, letting a few strands escape the tie to frame her face. She went for a flirty little green dress with a hem that stopped several inches above her knees. It was cool enough outside to wear stockings and the cute brown ankle boots from a shopping trip the previous week. Her dark green sweater would go perfectly with the ensemble.

Sitting casually at the table in the kitchen, Sonnet focused her attention on looking over her course work.   She knew that maybe there were bigger issues at hand than finishing off her degree, but life couldn’t stop because her father had decided to show how dangerous he could be. She was wrapping up one last bit of homework when Trevor arrived.

“Morning.” Trevor placed a to-go cup from her favourite coffee shop in front of her. “I understand you’re as much a slave to your coffee as I am.”

Sonnet sniffed delicately at the cup before taking a tentative sip while attempting to stare blandly up at the tall man beside her. “It’s perfection.”

“Good.” He rested his hand firmly on her shoulder. “Are you ready to leave for class? We have a shuttle waiting downstairs. We’ll be giving you a ride from now on.”

“I walk.” Sonnet snapped her fingers and Treble was immediately at her side. “My sweet boy needs his exercise.”

Trevor bent down until they were at eye-level. “There’s a park not far from here which is gated and secured.   We’ll take you there to give your _sweet boy_ his exercise.”

“But…”

His hand shifted up from her shoulder to her neck with his thumb under her chin. “You hired me for security because Cerberus wants you, and I doubt they’ll be bothered with who is around to watch.   You’re not safe in public anymore, Sonnet. It’s a very different world now. You’re going to have to let me keep you safe. You’re going to have to trust me.”

“Hmm.” Sonnet raised an eyebrow at him and tilted her head slightly despite the firm grip he had on her. “Trust you? With my security? Or with something else as well? “

He dragged his calloused thumb roughly across her bottom lip before pulling his hand away. “For now, security.”

“I’m walking to my classes as I always do.” Sonnet got to her feet and eased into her sweater. “My father wins if I change who I am and what I do.”

“No.” Trevor watched her gather up her books. “Your father wins when he has you in the Cerberus fold doing what he wants, or if you die in the process. I doubt he’s bothered much either way as long as he’s in control of you.”

“If he can grab me on the way to school with armed guards _and_ the Alliance officers that I’m confident Patrick left to look out for me, then he can grab me anywhere.” Sonnet placed her books into her leather satchel and frowned when Trevor took the bag to hand it to the second member of her new security team. She took her coffee and tapped her finger against the side of the cup. “I’m walking to the university.”

“You’re walking into the shuttle.” Trevor stepped in front of her and to her amazement flicked his fingers in a command that Treble immediately followed. “You’ve paid a lot of credits for me to keep you safe. I’ll risk my life to keep yours safe, but I won’t let you risk yours for foolishness. You shouldn’t let your father goad you into impulsive mistakes. I think you’re smarter than that.”

Sonnet ignored his comments to focus on Treble who was sitting by the door patiently. “How the _hell_ did you do that? He never listens to anyone but me.”

“I trained him,” he answered simply. “Your father will likely not find it very ironic or amusing, but I do. He wanted a guard dog trained to obey his daughter. I thought the idea of him having a child disturbing, so I made sure to pick one of the most loyal dogs I’ve ever seen.”

She blinked at him in stunned amazement. “You chose well.”

He glanced down at Treble. “I generally do.”

“I’m walking to the university.” Sonnet walked confidently toward her front door with her coffee cup in hand. “Are you coming?”

Trevor motioned for his partner to step out and Treble followed. He turned back to Sonnet when they were alone. “In the fifteen minutes it takes to walk to your university, it would be ridiculously easy for your team to be shot and you to be grabbed. No security plan is infallible.   You stood up to your father and now he’s realized you aren’t going to be easy to control. He will _adjust_ his plans accordingly.”

“I know.”

He moved until he was standing in front of her. “No, you don’t. You think you do because you’ve seen behind the pleasant mask he wears.”

“I know…”

With an easy, calculated move, Trevor had Sonnet by the throat up against a wall with his other hand holding her wrists and his body pressed against hers. He held her carefully, but while it seemed effortless for him. She found herself unable to move at all.

“It would take five seconds for you to be dead.” Trevor bent forward so his low whisper was directed into her ear. “Five seconds. It’s not you being shot by a sniper from a nearby roof that worries me. My greatest concern is what happens if your father does get his hands on you. You know his manipulation. You do _not_ know the torture he is capable of. He won’t be kind to you. He won’t let a little thing like family stop him. He wants you back to make you pay for what he will no doubt consider a great humiliation. It’s not about you being his puppet any longer. He will want his pound of flesh and it will be like nothing you’ve ever survived.”

“Mindoir…”

“Mindoir would feel like a walk in the park.” Trevor released her suddenly and she forced herself to appear unaffected. “I want to keep you alive, but you’re going to have to let me do it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonnet's outfit: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100627759806/ralphlauren-ralph-lauren-blue-label-an


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Walker Shepard_

_Subj: re: Sonnet._

_Trevor Meadows is personally handling her security._

_Personally?_

_Hackett_

* * *

 

One thing Sonnet had learned from her mother was to never let someone see when they’d rattled her. Trevor Meadows had certainly forcefully found his way through her normally unaffected façade. It was maddening and slightly enthralling.

Determined to regain a little of her own, Sonnet spent a ridiculously lengthy about of time determining her wardrobe the following morning.   She finally went for boot-cut, weathered brown leather pants, a black turtleneck and high-heeled boots. It was an outfit which always made her feel in charge and ready to take on the world.

_Until Tristan busted out laughing when she walked into the living room._

“I thought you went back home to New York?” Sonnet frowned at him.

“My dad so played you.” Tristan kept snickering at her while she shoved her books into her bag. She’d been working late on a project. “I wondered why he made me take his shift this morning.”

“Shut. Up.”

“What?” Tristan gave her a knowing smirk. “He skilfully manipulated you into doing what he wanted yesterday, and I’d wager today you…”

“Tristan.” Sonnet lifted a heavy glass sculpture from the coffee table. “How attached to your skull are you?”

“All right, all right, cease fire.” Tristan gestured toward the coffee cups in front of him. “He made me promise to get you a latte. He’ll be here tomorrow.”

“I couldn’t care less,” Sonnet shrugged. She chose to ignore the snort of derision her friend hid behind his coffee. “I’m going to be late for class.”

“Shuttle’s outside.” Tristan’s eyes danced with merriment at her. “Unless you’d rather walk this time?”

Sonnet’s eyes held a decidedly calculating look when she glanced over at him. “We’re going shopping.”

“Shopping?” Tristan rolled his eyes at her. “I’m not helping you screw my father.”

“Who said anything about screwing anyone?” She ran her fingers through Treble’s fur then started toward the front door. “Just remember the lengths I went to during our senior year at Columbia to ensure you were _alone_ with the quarterback of the football team.”

Tristan caught up to her as she stepped into the elevator. “You would bring that shit up.”

“How can I not? You raved about him for weeks and weeks, and when you finally… _got_ him, he ended up being nothing but a one-minute man.” Sonnet reminded him with a smile. Her smile widened when Treble growled at him as he reached out to tap her on the arm. “Careful, you might lose a hand.”

“Damn dog, he never liked me.” Tristan was still grumbling while they walked through the lobby of her building. He grabbed Sonnet’s arm to stop her. “ _Shit._ ”

She followed his gaze to where Admiral Hackett was stepping out of the revolving doors. _Oh god._ He spotted the two of them immediately and strode purposefully across the marble floor towards them. She tried to get Tristan to give them a moment, but the idiot just grinned at her and stayed where he was.

“Admiral?” Sonnet didn’t bother introducing Tristan. She preferred to pretend he didn’t exist at the moment, though she could see him doing something on his omni-tool out of the corner of her eye. “You are a long way from Arcturus.”

“Shouldn’t you be at college?” Hackett leaned in to gentle kiss her on the lips.

Her eyes immediately shifted to Tristan who was watching with avid interest. She took a step back from Hackett before answering him. “Tristan and I are expanding our knowledge on local markets.”

Her _bodyguard_ snorted—loudly.

“Can we talk?” Hackett took her by the elbow to guide her away from the others. “The Alliance…”

“ _Don’t._ ” Sonnet stared pointedly at the hand on her arm until it fell away. “The Alliance owes me nothing, less than nothing. I believe I’ve made that clear already so you can take the toy soldiers outside who think I can’t see them and go back to your station. Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see you.”

“See me?” Sonnet ignored the derisive snort from Tristan who had inched closer to them. “I…”

“Why don’t you join us on our market research, Admiral? I’m sure Sonnet won’t mind.” Tristan ignored the angry glare she shot at him. “And I can always use help carrying the bags.”

* * *

 

_From: Tristan Meadows_

_To: Trevor Meadows_

_Subj: Schedule._

_It’s changed._

_Don’t snap at your omni-tool, I can’t hear you so it’s wasted._

_Sonnet decided to go shopping._

_And yes, I’m fully aware of the risks. We’re bringing an Alliance Admiral with us; I think he’s a friend of Sonnet’s. Friends don’t normally kiss though, and he certainly kissed her. Not sure she was as amused by the kiss as I was._

_Are you familiar with Admiral Steven Hackett? I understand he’s quite the Alliance hero._

_I’ll keep you updated._

_Tristan_

* * *

 

When Trevor had started his business, he’d been fresh from being publically disgraced by the Alliance.  He’d wanted nothing which might even come close to resembling the Alliance as part of his business. It was part of the reason why he opted for suits instead of armour. It reminded him too much of the sacrifices he’d made only to be used as the scapegoat for his unit, better sacrifice one career as opposed to twenty careers.

It’s how Admiral Hackett had phrased it when he handed Trevor his discharge papers.   In one of his less than controlled moments, Trevor had ripped the papers in half and proceeded to demonstrate how he’d earned his reputation as a brawler. He’d figured if his ass was getting tossed out of the marines, he might as well get a few good shots in first. Hackett had been left rather broken and bloodied.

The animosity between the two men had been cemented and over the years since his discharge it hadn’t really improved at all. Trevor had no doubts his son was up to his usual tricks trying to make mischief. The kid had a nose for trouble though he often created it all on his own.

He _should_ have ignored the taunting from his son.

_Should have._

The trouble was Trevor liked Sonnet. She’d been strong enough to tell not only the leader of the largest terrorist organization humanity had seen to go screw himself, but then done the same to the Alliance. She had a sophisticated spark which he’d be damned if Hackett was going to enjoy.

He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and stormed out of the room.   His mood didn’t improve much when he arrived to find Sonnet perusing lingerie at a boutique while Hackett watched with _keen_ interest. Tristan didn’t bother hiding his amusement when he spotted his father.

_Kid was getting garbage duty for the next six months._

Trevor made his way over to where Hackett sat on a plush couch. He’d never shrunk from using his size to intimidate and stood directly in front of the man. “You’re a long way from Arcturus, Admiral.”

“I believe I’m _exactly_ where I want to be,” Hackett remarked calmly.

The slight tightening in his jaw told Trevor the Admiral was more aggravated than his composed demeanour revealed. Hackett always kept a tight rein on himself. It was something he’d always disliked about the man. He didn’t trust anyone who could shut down his emotions so easily.

“You do always seem to find yourself on top no matter who you’ve crushed to get there.” Trevor didn’t budge an inch when Hackett slowly got to his feet. “She’s too good for you.”

“How is that any of your business, Meadows?” Hackett asked sharply. “I believe she’s a client of yours, nothing more.”

“What do you think, Tristan?” Sonnet’s voice carried over to the two men. “I think I’d look better in red.”

“I think I need popcorn.” Tristan met his father’s eyes and reconsidered carefully. “And now I’m going outside to make sure the store is secure.”

_Wise kid._

Trevor walked across the room as if he hadn’t just been close to blows with Hackett. He stopped a foot away from Sonnet who was twisting slowly in front of a mirror wearing nothing but a black lace slip. It was beautiful and tasteful, not really showing much of anything, but the illusion of _everything_ was enough. He wanted to rip the damn thing off of her and shove her back into the dressing room.

But first, Trevor needed to make certain Hackett wasn’t the man she went to bed thinking about. If he fought with Hackett or went into some sort of ridiculously jealouse rage, Sonnet would end up focused on the wrong thing…or the wrong man. He wanted to show her how much he wanted to fan the flames in her.

“So red or black?” She lifted the red slip in her hand and then gestured to the one she already wore.  “What do you think?”

With his wide frame blocking Hackett’s view, Trevor grazed his thumb along the curve of the underside of one of her lace covered breast. He enjoyed the way her slow inhale shifted the fabric. He heard footsteps behind him and ignored them. If the Admiral didn’t exist to him, maybe he wouldn’t exist for Sonnet either.

“I think the clothes don’t matter one bit, you make them look special, not the other way around.” He bent forward until his lips grazed her ear. “Get several; I’ll just end up ripping them off of you.”

“You smug son-of-a-bitch.” Hackett clamped his hand on Trevor’s shoulder to attempt to yank him away from Sonnet who raised an amused eyebrow when Trevor didn’t budge. “Does Sonnet know about your reputation for violence?”

He sighed deeply and turned toward Hackett. “Why don’t you ask her? She’s standing right there. Why do you Alliance types always feel the need to speak for other people?”

It was a cheap shot, probably beneath him, but from the step back Hackett took and the choked laugh from the woman behind him. It had hit the mark remarkably well.   He knew from the careful way Hackett was watching him that it wasn’t over.

“I’m going to get dressed so Tristan and I can return to my apartment.” Sonnet stepped around the two men toward the dressing rooms off to the left. “The reason I prefer older men is generally speaking I don’t have to put up with hot-headed buffoonery. I’d hate to be disappointed in you both.”

Trevor watched her long legs until they disappeared then turned toward Hackett. “Still here?”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Hackett asked bluntly.

“Protecting my client.”

“And who protects her from you?” Hackett shot back at him.

“The last time we went toe to toe, Admiral, I left you broken on the floor of your office.” Trevor inspected a non-existent bit of dirt under his fingernails. “Are you really looking to go for round two? When was the last time you actually did anything other than issue an order?”

“This isn’t over.”

“We don’t get to make that decision. She does and I like my chances.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonnet's Outfit: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100704835641/sexyinleather-ralph-lauren-blue-label-2012
> 
> Sonnet's lace slip: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100756234526/directorysexy-assunta-francesina-lace-slip-by


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

The tension in the shop had multiplied by the time Sonnet emerged from the dressing room fully clothed. She purchased several of the delicate pieces, choosing to avoid even eye contact with the two men. She’d heard everything that had been said when they thought they were alone. It seemed to her as if Trevor had won round one, though maybe Hackett wouldn’t agree.

Taking the bag from the shop attendant, Sonnet strode out of the shop to find Tristan waiting. They moved quickly into a waiting skycar. They were gone before anyone else could join them. She needed a little time to clear her mind and regain her footing.

They took a detour from their original plan to head home in order to grab a very late lunch at one of her favourite London hotspots. It was pricy, but the chef was from Paris and his food was mouth-wateringly delicious. They were stealing food from each other’s plates and discussing her plans post-College when a familiar figure stepped into the restaurant flanked by two of his operatives.

“ _Shit._ ” Trevor spoke into his comm asking for back-up and then reached over to take Sonnet’s hand. “We’re going out the back, _now._ ”

“No.”

“ _Sonnet._ ”

She rose slowly to her feet, extracted her hand from his and walked casually through the restaurant with Treble by her side. Tristan stayed close behind her. He muttered under his breath about having to beg for a swift death from his father if she got hurt.

“Are you planning on attempting to murder me again?” Sonnet asked loudly. She placed a hand on Treble’s collar when he snarled at her father. “Why are you here?”

“It’s time for you to come home.” Her father reached out to grab her. His fingers squeezed so tightly she thought for a moment that he was about to break her wrist. “I won’t ask a second time.”

“I think you’ll find you didn’t ask at all.” Sonnet yanked her hand away from his, wincing as his ring scraped against her skin. She rubbed her wrist and stepped back while Treble moved in front of her. “You _failed_ to do so many things, Jack. You failed most spectacularly at being a father.”

“Sonnet.” Tristan took her elbow to ease her further away from her father. “We’re leaving.”

As Sonnet twisted toward him, one of the operatives started forward. Before she could shot an order to Treble, the dog launched himself at the man. She watched in horror as the second man behind her father shot her beloved dog. Tristan fired his own pistol a second later.

Ignoring the threat still remaining, Sonnet stormed forward to slap her father across the face. She snapped at Tristan to pick up the fallen dog. She spared a brief glance at the two operatives on the floor and then focused again on The _Illusive_ Man.

“I will _never_ forget you did this.” Sonnet swallowed back her tears ignoring the sharp ache in her throat. “You leave me alone, _father_ , leave me alone from now on.”

“Or what?”

“Or I will demonstrate rather splendidly how very much like my father I can be.” She stumbled backwards when his hand lashed out to back hand her across the face.   “How dare you.”

Before Sonnet had a chance to respond further, the restaurant was swarmed by a mixture of Alliance marines and armed guards with the Meadows insignia on their armor. Tristan gently carried Treble out of a side door while Trevor appeared suddenly behind her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and eased her back against him.

“Meadows.”

Trevor lifted his free arm with an impressively large rifle pointed directly at The Illusive Man. “Walk away while I’m still feeling generous.”

If Treble hadn’t been bleeding, Sonnet would’ve found the look on her father’s face incredibly amusing. Trevor’s strong arm stayed around her while he edged them toward the door. She blinked in the bright sunlight before being guided into a shuttle.

“Oh no, is he…” Sonnet sank to her knees beside Treble who had been placed on a blanket on the floor of the shuttle.

“He’s still breathing.” Tristan assured her while wrapping a bandage around the German Shepard. “Medi-gel doesn’t work as well on dogs as it does humans, but it’s stopped the bleeding for now.   We’re rushing him to the nearest emergency animal clinic.”

“I wanted him to retire somewhere peaceful.” Sonnet gently brushed her fingers through his fur. “My precious boy.”

Warm, strong fingers slipped under her hair to wrap around the back of her neck. Trevor sat behind her in one of the shuttle seats. He barked orders to the pilot and one of the other men in the Kodiak. Sonnet was surprised when he didn’t bark at her for the risk she’d taken.

“What happened to your lip?” Tristan leaned across Treble to get a better look. “When…”

She didn’t get a chance to answer because the fingers on her neck tightened. Trevor reached down to warp his arm around her waist to lift her up into the seat beside him. He twisted her around to inspect the damage her father had done to her bottom lip.

“Just another scar.” Sonnet shrugged and ran her tongue tentatively over the split on her lip.

Trevor applied medi-gel to her mouth and then touched a finger to the old scarring on her neck. “He did this as well?”

“Batarians.” Sonnet frowned when he lifted her arm next to inspect the bruising on her wrist. “I was on Mindoir when the slavers massacred everyone…everyone but two teenagers.”

He was silent as he carefully made sure her wrist wasn’t broken or sprained. His eyes were thoughtful when he finally looked up. “My unit was sent to Mindoir, it was one of my last missions for the Alliance. You survived hell that night.”

“Yes.” Sonnet gently pried her arm away from him. “I prefer not to talk about Mindoir. I’d prefer not to talk at all right now.”

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: Dinner._

_I’m leaving for Arcturus in the morning._

_Would you be interested in having dinner with me this evening?_

_Steven_

* * *

 

The stress of the day, meeting with her father and the relief of Treble being injured, but alive had taken a lot out of Sonnet. She decided to accept Hackett’s invitation to dinner. She ran her fingers along the various outfits in her over-sized walk-in closet and tried to find the perfect dress to make the _perfect_ statement.

Her fingers stopped at a dress that Sonnet had never worn. Her stylist had brought it to her months ago, trying to goad her into wearing something a little more daring. She hadn’t had a reason to wear it before.

With her height, the pleated taffeta dress would land well above her knees. It was a deep red and sleeveless. Sonnet had a feeling her stylist was right when she said the dress would make her look like a sexual goddess. She just wasn’t sure tonight was the right night for it.

Leaving her hair down, Sonnet shimmied into the dress. It was a snug fit. Her fingers glided across the soft fabric. She grinned at her reflection. It was going to be a very interesting evening.

She glanced up in surprise as slid her high-heels on when Tristan eased into her room and sealed the door. He took one look at her dress and whistled low before holding out her longest coat to her. “I’m not…”

“Trust me; you want both of them to see that thing on you at the same exact moment.” Tristan walked toward her and helped her into the coat. “It’ll be priceless.”

“I am _not_ your personal soap opera, Tris.” She glared at him as he shoved her out of her room.

“Going somewhere?” Trevor looked up from where he’d been working on his omni-tool.

“She has a date with the Admiral.” Tristan answered for her sounding way to gleeful about it. He dodged the purse she swung at him.

“A date?”

“Dinner.” Sonnet ignored the gleeful Tristan and turned toward the mirror by the front door to slide her earrings on. “Are you part of my security this evening?”

Trevor glared stonily at both of them before nodding. “You two are up to something.”

“I was invited to dinner,” Sonnet shrugged indifferently. “You can always stay behind. I’m sure Tris and the Admiral can keep me safe.”

He stood up and carefully straightened his suit jacket. “And miss a chance to see Hackett in action? Why would I ever want to miss that?”

“ _Indeed._ ” Sonnet wondered very briefly if she wasn’t about to step into the deep-end of a swimming pool without any sort of safety. “Shall we?”

Hackett stood outside of the restaurant waiting for them. Sonnet was surprised to see him dressed down in a pair of dark blue trousers and a white dress shirt open at the collar. She _wasn’t_ surprised by the armed marines he’d brought with him.

“Were the babysitters necessary?” He whispered in her ear before brushing his lips against hers.

“Don’t poke the lions. It’s not nice to tease caged animals.” Sonnet shook her head at him. She followed him into the restaurant, not daring to glance over at Trevor or the snickering Tristan.

Sonnet allowed the maître d’ to help her out of her coat. She heard two deep inhales followed by a snort of amusement from Tristan. His amusement was cut short when his father whacked him on the back of the head.   Her friend had been right though, to hide her outfit under the coat. It was rather satisfying seeing the effect she had on two men usually known for being unreadable even in the worst circumstances.

“Is your security team always this unprofessional?” Hackett raised an eyebrow when Trevor started forward to escort Sonnet to their table with his hand on her lower back. “I believe this would be _my_ date, Meadows, not yours.”

Glaring at Tristan when he started to grin, Sonnet stepped forward to rest her hand lightly on Hackett’s arm as they made their way across the restaurant to their table. She might want to pay the two men back for the scene at the lingerie shop, but a public brawl would be tragic not amusing. She was going to end up with indigestion if this kept up.

“Would you give me a moment please?” Sonnet smiled sweetly at Hackett and then got to her feet. She grabbed Trevor by the front of his suit jacket and dragged him through the restaurant through a set of doors into the privacy of the hallway leading to the kitchen. “Snarling and growling at my date will not make him disappear.”

Surging forward, Trevor slid his hands along either side of her neck. His right hand moved around to grip her firmly by the back of the neck while his left drifted up to her jaw and then down to just graze the top of her breast. His lips covered hers in an insistent kiss.

Sonnet pushed at his chest until he released her. “I’m on a date, Trevor.”

“With the wrong man.”

“Well, it’s pity you never asked me then, isn’t it?” She left him standing stunned in the hallway as she sauntered away from him. “I hope you enjoy watching the date you could’ve been on.”

“Be careful who you taunt.” Trevor blocked her exit. “I’m not a man to be toyed with.”

“And I’m not a toy at _all._ ” Sonnet glared up at him. “Don’t treat me like a chess piece to be moved around while you and the Admiral taunt each other over who is going to win. You’ll both lose that battle.”

“I don’t think you’re a toy.” He leaned against the doors with a contemplative frown. “You called me a lion.”

“I did.”

“Retract the claws, kitten.” Trevor reached out to straighten the strap of her dress on her shoulder. His fingers gently caressed her skin.

“Kitten?” Sonnet choked on a laugh. “Oh, you’re going to have to find something else or I’m going to spend all my time laughing at you.”

“I hope you enjoy your dinner.” He took her laughter in stride. 

“Really?”

“Of course.” He held the door open for her. “And I hope you enjoy the breakfast I make for you in the morning.”

“Breakfast?”

“The Admiral asks.” Trevor placed his hand on her lower back to push her forward. “You’ll find I work under a different set of rules. Would you like to play _my_ game?”

“Maybe.” Sonnet stepped away from his hand. “It depends on how much I enjoy dinner.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonnet's Dress: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100828914711/night-out-by-cdalton73-featuring-antique-jewelry
> 
> Hackett's outfit: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100830579641/a-gentleman-in-portugal-the-portuguese


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

The following morning, Sonnet woke up well before her alarm clock went off. She could hear someone moving around in the kitchen and decided it was time to shake Trevor up a little. She ran her fingers through her hair a few times and straightened the cream coloured lace slip that she’d slept in. It made her feel incredibly decadent.

“Oh. _God._ ” Sonnet snatched the fridge door to open it to cover her body when she realized Patrick was the one messing around in the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

Patrick set the pan in his hand down. “Making you breakfast. What are _you_ doing?”

Sonnet shifted against the cold fridge door. “Could you turn around?”

“Who exactly did you think was in the kitchen?” Patrick raised an eyebrow at her.

“Certainly not you.” She slammed the door shut. “This is wasted on you.”

Patrick covered his eyes with his hand. “I didn’t need to see you in that.”

She spun around to head back to her room to dress slightly more appropriately and found the man she _thought_ was in the kitchen leaning against the side of one of her armchairs. “Trevor.”

“Morning.” His eyes drifted down her body. “Was this for me?”

Sonnet snapped her fingers in front of him until he looked up at her amused. “It’s for _me,_ the soft, silky fabric rubbing against my skin. Why must men always think beauty is done for them?”

Trevor took a step toward her. His hands took her by the waist to ease her out of Patrick’s view. “You are a sweet, little liar. I watched you. You thought I was the one in the kitchen. Was that your attempt at being a tease?”

“I’ve always wondered whether Tristan came by his immense ego naturally. I suppose I have the answer.” Sonnet impressed herself when her voice came out strong and steady despite the fingers caressing her sides. “I see he inherited it.”

“Put this on.” Patrick flung his jacket her.

She glanced down at the heavy brown coat in her arms. “We were having a private conversation.”

“Well cover the hell up while you’re having it.” Patrick poked Trevor in the chest. “Not going to like you anymore than I like Hackett.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not the one I’m looking to get naked.” Trevor ignored the finger jabbing him and focused his intense gaze on Sonnet. “I believe the food is burning, Hoch.”

Leaving the grumbling old men, Sonnet discarded the jacket and retraced her steps to her bedroom.   She was standing in the middle of her closet when she heard her door slid open and then closed. She didn’t bother looking when Trevor joined her. Her attention focused on which dress to wear to college.

“How’s Treble?” She asked _calmly._

“Healing.” Trevor took measured steps towards her. “If you’d like, I can give him a home to retire quietly at the ranch where we raise the dogs.”

“Good.” Sonnet had hoped to find somewhere for her wonderfully, loyal dog to go. She didn’t want him to be a casualty of the war between her and her father. She paused to glance down at the fingers trailing along her bare thigh. “If you think Patrick won’t follow you in here, you are sadly mistaken.”

He reached up to grab the front of her camisole to yank her over against him. “Then I should get my kisses in before he interrupts.”

“Not so fast, Romeo.”

Sonnet’s shoulders shook with laughter as Patrick reached into the closet to drag Trevor from the room. Tristan was right. Her life was slowly turning into a bizarrely hilarious comic opera.   She wondered if Patrick was starting to regret his distaste for her date with Hackett or if he disliked both men equally.

She pulled on a dark brown jumper and jeans then tiptoed to the door of her closet to listen to the arguing men who hadn’t left her bedroom yet. She frowned when Patrick told Trevor ‘Sonnet isn’t yours.’ Wasn’t his? She didn’t _belong_ to anyone.

Her fingers itched to open the door and tell both of them a thing or two, but Sonnet decided to wait to hear Trevor’s response. It _didn’t_ disappoint. She heard the sounds of him walking forward and a thud which caused her to peak out of the closet.

“Mine?” Trevor held Patrick up against her bedroom wall by his shirt. “She’s not an object, Hoch. She’s a beautiful, intelligent woman who can handle herself just fine without your interference. As someone reminded me last night, she’s not a toy to be dragged around by the men in her life.”

“You still want her.”

Trevor dropped Patrick and shrugged while glancing over at the closet. “And she knows it, so why don’t you go fix breakfast like a good little Alliance marine and let her make up her own mind.”

Sonnet was about to step into the room when Patrick reared back and slammed his fist into Trevor’s face. “Oh. God.”

Patrick shoved the taller, larger man backwards. “You think I don’t know she’s not a toy to be dragged around. Who the hell do you think spent years trying to keep her the hell out of her father’s clutches?”

“Really?” Trevor snapped back at him. “And when the Alliance gave you an order?”

“I…”

“Trevor.” Sonnet moved quickly across her bedroom to get between the two men. “Enough.”

He ran his fingers across his jaw where he’d been struck. “I’m sorry.”

“I was warned about the brawling.” Sonnet glanced between the two men. “I just appear to have been warned about the wrong man.”

“Sorry.” Patrick didn’t look the least bit sorry. “I did my best.”

“Was it enough?” Trevor ignored Sonnet’s attempt to shut him up. “The difference between us, Hoch, is that I’ve sacrificed everything for my son. Sonnet isn’t your daughter, though to your credit, you’ve treated her like one. At the end of the day, you’re an Alliance marine doing your job and she should’ve been worth more than that to you, to her own father and to the high and mighty Admiral who gave you the orders.”

The silence in the room felt like a dead weight on Sonnet’s shoulders. She couldn’t do anything, but stand rather stupidly with a hand on Trevor’s arm where she’d been trying to stop him. He reached down to squeeze her hand then left her alone with an equally shell-shocked Patrick. She started to speak, but he shook his head to silence her.

“He isn’t lying.” Patrick paced the room while he continued to speak, more to himself than Sonnet. “There were times I told Hackett that we needed to find a different angle to approach the mission. There were times…I wanted to just take you and get you the hell away from your father. And…I didn’t because I’m a marine and I was there to do a mission. The mission came first.”

“It’s okay, Patrick.”

“No, it isn’t, and you believing that makes it even worse. Meadows is right, you deserved better from everyone involved.” He stopped pacing to glance over at the door with a rueful grin. “You might want to keep him around, Sonnet. He’s better for you than I thought he’d be.”

“ _Patrick_.”

* * *

 

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: re: Weeks._

_Wait…so all this hot and heavy from both Hackett and Meadows, and then nothing for weeks._

_Did you neglect bodily hygiene or something?_

_I have no idea, old men are weird._

_I thought you were going to spend your week break with me. I’m disappointed that you’ve decided to head to the Meadows ranch. So what if it’s in a beautiful spot in upstate New York and you’ll get to see Treble. What about my needs?_

_Walker_

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Sonnet awoke with a pounding in her head. She tried to sit up only to find herself tightly restrained. Her eyes snapped open and a chill danced along her spine.   Her last memory was sneaking out of class for a quick visit to the medical clinic for her birth control shot. She’d gone without letting either of her guards know which had obviously been a mistake.

Twisting around as much as possible, Sonnet peered around the room. It wasn’t her room and it was certainly not a very comforting room. It reminded her rather terrifyingly of the stark cell she’d once rescued Patrick from.  Her heart pounded in her chest, but she managed not to panic or struggle uselessly against her restraints.

What would the point be?

She didn’t want to give _him_ the satisfaction.

The familiar voice of her father filtered through the door. He was telling someone, probably one or more of his operatives, to teach the girl a lesson. He wanted her to fall in line with her destiny. Sonnet stared hopelessly up at the ceiling and continued to refuse to struggle.

Fighting wouldn’t gain her freedom. Escape would require a miracle. The Illusive Man had his daughter back and it was unlikely he would let her go easily. Sonnet wasn’t naïve enough to believe the Alliance would come to her rescue. They hadn’t attempted to rescue Patrick, one of their own.

The door slid open and two men stepped into the room. They observed her in the same calculated silence that she watched them.   She waited for them to do something since there wasn’t much of an option to do anything else.

She’d anticipated a beating or some manner of torture. Patrick had been put through hell. She didn’t think they would show her mercy. Her father hadn’t left her for mercy.

“How very like my father to leave the dirty work for other people’s hands.” She managed to sneer at them without her lip so much as trembling. The Illusive Man should’ve been very proud of her. “Does father often pay you to torture defenceless women? Do you win a bonus for particularly loud screams? Is there a commission for maimed body parts?”

“You _talk_ too much.” The operative closet to her traced the scarring on her throat with his fingernail. “Looks like someone already tried to shut you up once.”

“They failed.”

“Let me see if I can fix that little problem for your father. You’ll be nice and docile when you can’t do more than squeak.” He made his way over to a tray just out of her view. “Did it hurt the first time? Does it haunt your dreams?”

There wasn’t time for a response, even if Sonnet could think of a good one. She made an inarticulate groan when the bastard cut her throat, just barely missing her jugular vein. She felt the agonizing pain of her voice being ripped from her for the second time in her life.

The medi-gel slapped on the wound a moment later did nothing for the pain or the loss of her voice. It did stop the bleeding to keep her alive. Sonnet closed her eyes to avoid seeing whatever they intended to do to her next.

“What do you think you are doing?”

Sonnet lifted her head to blearily look over toward the door where her father came into view as her vision finally refocused. He appeared to be in a rage which made no sense. He’d left her to be tortured.

_Why care now?_

_“_ Your orders…”

“You slit my daughter’s throat? A throat that I spent months finding a doctor who could fix it only to have you…” The Illusive Man plucked the pistol from the operative’s holster and fired two shots, killing both men instantly. He glanced callously down at them before turning toward Sonnet with barely a change in his expression. “Are you all right?”

Sonnet wanted to rail at him, but she couldn’t speak. She gestured to her throat as if to say, ‘what the hell do you think?’ He stood in his impeccable suit and seemed at a loss as to what to do.

“I cannot let you leave.” He stepped out of the room and she heard him yelling at Jacquelyn to get a medical team. “You wouldn’t believe me if I said I was sorry.”

She canted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow in obvious disbelief.

“Are you satisfied with your life in London with your artwork and your beautiful things and your pristine apartment?” He lit a cigarette, taking a few puffs before continuing. “The Alliance won’t come for you, but you know that. You have my intelligence. But Meadows…he’ll kill himself trying to rescue you.”

Her eyes narrowed angrily, still restrained to the chair, Sonnet had no choice, but to fume in silence.

“This was a mistake.” He motioned toward her throat. “I never intended for them to cause any sort of permanent damage.   I doubt it makes me sound like any sort of father that I walked away with the knowledge they’d beat you.”

The medics rushed in to prevent any further _conversation._ They worked tirelessly to attempt to fix the damage. Sonnet was out for most of it. She awoke yet again to find herself in a completely different room.

“Fuck. You. Father.” Sonnet tested out her voice and was surprised to find it work. She wondered if they’d simple repeated the procedure that had been done on her in her teens.

“Very eloquent.”

She sat up slowly in the much more comfortable bed and glared at her father. “Haven’t you done enough?”

“Perhaps.” He stayed by the door. “Cerberus…”

“Did you put a control chip in my brain?”

“Of course not.”

“Then this will _never_ work. Can you honestly beat me into submission over and over again? I’ll end up dead eventually.” Sonnet got slowly to her feet. She felt woozy and out of it. “Let me go, or kill me.”

“Don’t be overly dramatic; it’s unbecoming of a Harper.”

“Must be the Wells in me.” Sonnet glanced down at the pristine, white silk pajamas she wore. “Where are my clothes?”

He pointed to a garment bag draped cross a chair across the room. “You’ll find suitable clothing in there.”

“I have my own apartment filled with very _suitable_ clothing.” Sonnet thought briefly about the other men in her life who were probably going a little mad with worry. “You should know you paid a fortune for it.”

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a two chapter sort of day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Leaning forward over the sink, Sonnet tilted her head to the side to get a better look at the new scarring on her neck. The doctors had fixed her voice, but the scarring was more prominent than it had been. She stepped back with a sigh.

The sound of boots racing down the hall caught her attention. Sonnet hurriedly changed out of her pajamas into black jeans, a brown sweater and a pair of brown boots. She moved into the main part of her _room_ to find her father and three operatives.

“It’s time to leave.” He flicked his hand and one of the operatives walked over to grab her firmly by the arm. “You’re coming with me.”

“How lovely for me.” Sonnet stumbled as the operative dragged her along beside him. “Are we in a hurry?”

“We’re moving to Cronos.”

“Did someone come knocking on your door?” Sonnet tripped over the untied laces of her boots and went sprawling to the ground in the cramped hallway. She was yanked to her feet by the unsmiling operative. “You really need to start paying the stiffs more, not even the hint of a laugh.”

“Be quiet.”

“But you put so much effort into giving my voice back, _twice._ ” Sonnet stumbled for a second time as they exited the building. She glanced around in surprise to find that she’d been held in what looked like an old military compound.   She could see familiar buildings in the distance.   “How long have you had a base outside of London?”

“Since you moved.”

Sonnet had the briefest moment to stare at him in stunned amazement before the dark sky was swathed in a bright spotlight from the lights from some sort of armoured vehicle. The operative holding her let go in order to step in front of her father. She clearly rated farther down on the protection hierarchy.

Inching slowly away from the Cerberus group, Sonnet froze at the sound of three sharp pings. She glanced over her shoulder in time to see the three operatives fall to the ground with clean shots to their heads. Her father grabbed her by the arm to drag her to his side.

“Planning to use me as a shield? How very droll of you.” Sonnet thought the entire moment was completely absurd. “Do you think the snipers can’t take you out while missing me? Should we ask? I think we should ask for a demonstration.”

Her attention was taken from provoking her father to three men who walked out from behind one of the vehicles. Sonnet was surprised to see Patrick with Trevor and Tristan. She _wasn’t_ surprised to see a large number of armed individuals all with the Meadows logo on their armour filling in the area.

“I’m not feeling very generous at the moment.” Trevor walked forward with Tristan and Patrick flanking him, all three armed with rifles of some sort.   She stayed where she was, given her father had an iron grip on her arm. “How about you let her go and I don’t turn your ass over to the Alliance?”

“The rest of my operatives will be here momentarily.” His hand squeezed Sonnet’s arm more tightly.

“They won’t beat a bullet.” Trevor lifted his rifle up while continuing to step forward. “The hazards of reducing yourself down to nothing more than an expensive suit are that when the soldiers around you fall, there’s no one left to protect you.”

“You don’t know what I am capable of.” Her father took a step toward Trevor which was probably what the man wanted.

Sonnet was tired of the posturing. She was tired, cold, sore and hungry. It was _not_ making her a very pleasant person.   “Are you two really going to compare the extents of your impressive abilities now? Would you like to plop out your penises to compare as well? Not that I need to see my father’s, but honestly, men. I tell you what we should do. Tristan can take me out for coffee and food since I’m starving, and you two can duel at dawn to decide who is more threateningly impressive.”

With her father suitably distracted, Sonnet managed to free herself and strolled casually toward Tristan. His muffled laughter was barely audible as they walked toward one of the nearby shuttles. She wasn’t _entirely_ certain she wanted to know if they let her father go.

“How long before they realize we literally just disappeared in one of the shuttles?” Tristan kept his tone light, but he looked concerned as she dropped into one of the seats.

“A minute.” She leaned her head back with a sigh then moved forward when the stretch pulled at her throat. “How many days?”

“Three.”

“How angry are they at me for going to the clinic alone?” Sonnet asked curiously.

“Fear has a tendency to erase anger after three days.” Trevor answered stepping into the shuttle with Patrick close behind.

“Is he…”

“We didn’t kill him.” Patrick assured her quickly.

“I shot him in the leg.” Trevor crouched in front of her and leaned in for a look at her throat. “What did they do to you?”

“Sonnet?” Patrick took the seat next to hers with concern obvious in his voice.

“I’d rather not talk about it. I’m tired and hungry.” She couldn’t stop the flinch when Trevor touched his thumb to the healing scars on her neck. “Remove your hand.”

“After I make sure you’re all right, I’ll give you all the space you need.” Trevor continued his inspection of her neck. “Who slit your throat?”

“I do believe I said I’d rather not talk about it.” Sonnet reached up to carefully take Trevor by the wrist and move his hand away from her neck.

“She did, I heard her all the way up here.” Tristan winked at Sonnet over his shoulder. He swiftly turned back around when Trevor glared at him. “Focusing on driving, _Sir._ ”

“How the hell could he do that to you again after seeing you…” Patrick seemed to be struggling to comprehend.

“He claims this wasn’t his intention…and he did shoot the two men responsible, but I’ve a sneaking suspicion that it was more for show to make me trust him.” She didn’t for a second believe The Illusive Man felt anything remotely like guilt about his treatment of his daughter. “This conversation is over.”

Trevor bent down until Sonnet could feel his breath against the shell of her ear. “ _For now._ ”

Sonnet would’ve found the intensity in his tone attractive at any other time, but not at the moment. She twisted around to capture him firmly by his jaw. “I’ve reached my limit with men at the moment. I want food, and a safe place to sob into a pillow. I do _not_ want another man who thinks he can dictate my life for me.”

Trevor smiled briefly before pushing forward despite her hold on his jaw. He ignored the presence of Patrick and Tristan. His voice was too low for them to hear in any case. “No interest in dictating your life, the only thing I might want control of are your orgasms. If you need to sob into _anything_ , I have broad shoulders and plenty of clean shirts to change into. You let me hold you for a while so you remember you aren’t alone.”

“How exactly do you plan on controlling my orgasms?” Sonnet spoke a little too loudly from the aggravated groan behind her. “You _can_ move across the shuttle, Patrick.”

Trevor reached up to slowly ease her fingers away from his jaw then he pulled her into a hug. His head pressed against hers. “That’s a conversation for another day.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

The voices in her living room grew louder as the morning progressed.  Sonnet stayed under her luxurious, silky sheets and ignored them. She saw no issue with giving herself a few days to indulge her desire to hide from everyone.   Trevor’s offer of his shoulder had been temping, but she refused to shed tears in front of anyone.

There had been messages from Walker and Hackett. Both were concerned about her, Patrick had explained how the Admiral had used his contacts to help find her. Hackett had messaged her asking her out to dinner when she was recovered.

She’d said maybe.

Sitting up in bed, Sonnet rested her head against the headboard with a sigh. Jacquelyn had also messaged her with a ‘heart-felt’ apology from her father—the man with no heart. He had also sent her an overwhelmingly large number of credits. The torture of one’s own child was apparently worth several hundred thousand credits.

Credits?

Her life meant nothing but credits to her father.

Glancing over at her organized, but well-stocked closet, Sonnet wondered in disgust if she wasn’t proving his point with her choice of lifestyle. She willingly spent his credits which had been heard from who knows where. Was she really any better than he was?

Logically Sonnet knew she was better than her father. She didn’t torture people for one thing. It occurred to her though perhaps she could do _more_ …be _more._

“Sonnet?” Patrick knocked on her door lightly.

“I am not hungry or interested in company.” Sonnet lifted a fluffy pillow to cover her face when the door slid open.

“Well, that’s just too bad.” Patrick moved over to sit on the edge of her bed and handed her a cup of coffee. “Let’s talk.”

“No.”

Patrick shrugged, “all right. I’ll talk.”

“ _Patrick.”_

He ignored her and took a sip of his coffee. “You are _not_ your father.”

“I am aware, Patrick. I look at my naked body rather frequently.” She scoffed at him.

“Taking his money doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Sonnet raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. “At some point in the future when we’re thinking back to this conversation, I’ll be sure to pretend that didn’t sound as utterly ridiculous as it actually did.”

With a sharp glance in her direction, Patrick chose to pretend she wasn’t being flippant about his attempt to demonstrate how much he cared.  He tried to convince her that she wasn’t tainted by her father or his credits. She wasn’t really buying it.

“If it bothers you so much, why not use the credits for something better than a new handbag?” Patrick tapped his finger against her foot under the sheet. “You don’t control how the hell he earns the money, but you can decide how to utilize what he gives you.”

“Hmm.”

“You should know the Admiral arrived about ten minutes ago.” Patrick pulled out what was clearly the ace in his sleeve to getting her out of her room.

“Here? In my apartment? And you left him out there with Trevor?” Sonnet shoved the blankets off and dashed into her closet to change.

“What? If they kill each other off, I’ll have less to stress about.” Patrick seemed unmoved by her indignant annoyance at him. “I’ll be in the living room eating popcorn with Tristan.”

Changing quickly into a pair of black jeans and a dark russet turtleneck which would hid her scars, Sonnet tiptoed barefoot down the hall. Tristan winked to her when she edged quietly into the living room. Hackett and Trevor were oblivious to her presence.

“She was taken under your watch. What the hell makes you think you can keep her safe? The Alliance would do a much better job.” Hackett’s voice rose as he argued with the man reclining casually on the couch. Trevor seemed remarkably unmoved which only seemed to aggravate the Admiral. “You don’t even give a damn.”

“Don’t mistake calmness for a lack of concern.” Trevor plucked a hair from his trousers and flicked it to the floor. “The Alliance sat on its ass for years; don’t insult our intelligence by pretending you’re now going to get involved. You can’t deflect your feelings of helplessness on to me. The Alliance is unable to take Cerberus to task; perhaps you shouldn’t have used them in the past for all those secret ops. It’s hard to attack someone who knows all your dirty little secrets, isn’t it?”

“Why is she paying your firm if not to keep her safe, damn it?” Hackett was usually completely unflappable. Sonnet found it amusing that Trevor could wind him up with so little effort. “We will stop Cerberus.”

“Doubtful.”

“The only person to blame for my being temporarily misplaced is _me._ ” Sonnet interrupted their argument. She sat on the arm of the chair Tristan was in. “I evaded Tris and his partner to visit the clinic by myself. They can only protect me when I let them.”

Trevor’s eyes were deadly serious when he shifted from watching Hackett to meeting Sonnet’s gaze. “You should be able to go to a clinic without fearing abduction, but it’s not the reality of your world at the moment. We’ll find a better compromise between keeping you safe and allowing you a little privacy.”

Sonnet wanted to thank him for understanding, but it was a conversation better had in private. She dealt with another issue instead. “I appreciate the invitation to dinner, Steven, though I’m not entirely certain I’m up to it just yet.”

“You asked her out on a goddamn date two days after she was…” Patrick snapped his mouth shut when Hackett raised an eyebrow at him. “ _Admiral_.”

“Like he wouldn’t.” Hackett nodded his head toward Trevor.

“What _precisely_ is it about Trevor which reduces you to displays of jealous immaturity?” Sonnet asked casually.

“I wouldn’t ask Sonnet out for a date at the moment. “ Trevor interrupted Hackett before he could answer. “She just survived an incredibly traumatic experience. I’m not taking advantage of her weakened state.”

“Weak?” Sonnet elbowed Tristan when he snorted. “Weak? You think I’m weak because my father kidnapped me and his lovely operatives slit my throat.”

“No.” Trevor stood slowly and walked purposefully over to her. He cupped her face in his hands. “I think you’re stronger than any of us can _ever_ imagine because of what you’ve been forced to endure. You’re also walking an emotional tightrope, and until you’re back on solid ground, I’m not going to risk having you fall into my arms for any reason other than you couldn’t resist me.”

“Fall into them?” Sonnet elbowed Tristan for the second time. “I have an aversion to falling.”

Trevor leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I know the perfect cure to your fear of falling; take it one orgasm at a time.”

“Very insightful.” She canted her head to the side to give at least the illusion of space between them. “I’ll keep that in mind when I reacquaint myself with my vibrator this evening.”

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: re: Trip._

_How are you really doing? Uncle Steven says you’re fine, you say you’re fine. I find that hard to believe._

_I know you won’t answer any differently than you already have._

_What’s the ranch like anyway? At least this break from college is voluntary; you should enjoy it, and the attractive owner of the ranch. You’re making ‘Uncle Steven’ incredibly jealous. It’s hilarious. Admiral’s should be so aggravated._

_Walker_

* * *

 

 _This Ranch_ turned out to be a sprawling estate across over one hundred acres set back in a dense forest.   It was split into three parts with a compound for the security firm complete with barracks, firing range, obstacle course and offices. The second section was completely for raising and training the guard dogs the firm was renowned for. The last area was the private home with a large mansion, private pond and several smaller buildings.

Tristan claimed the Alliance settled with his father all hush hush a few years ago.   Trevor had apparently immediately sunk the credits into the large property for themselves and their company. He wasn’t sure _why_ the Alliance had coughed up the money.

His dad refused to talk about it. Tristan thought it was likely related to the screw up which lead to his discharge. She wondered if perhaps Trevor had dirt the Alliance couldn’t risk being shared.

Graduation loomed on the horizon for her and Sonnet knew plans needed to be made. Her internship had fallen through at the last minute—likely because of a sudden withdrawal of credits from an anonymous source. Anonymous? Or perhaps more _Illusive_ than anonymous.   Her father did know where to hit her where it hurt.

She’d found out about it earlier while heading down to breakfast. The director of the gallery messaged her to inform her of the change. It had been the last straw for her tightly held emotions. She skipped breakfast to walk alone with Treble hoping for a flash of brilliant inspiration.

Sitting on a swing which hung from a massive branch of a large tree a ways from the house, Sonnet stared unseeing while Treble stretched out on the grass not far from her.   She tried to decide what of the options left to her would provide her with the future she hoped for. It was clear to her that her father would use any means necessary aside from physically assaulting her to make her pay for getting shot in the knee.

_Not like she’d been the one to shoot him._

“It’s not like you to hide.” Trevor caught the chains of the wing to lightly push her forward. “You didn’t even drink your coffee. How very strange for a caffeine addict.”

“I’m wake enough without it.” Sonnet jerked in the seat when he caught the chains to stop her mid-swing. “Talk to me.”

“My father…” Sonnet leapt from the swing. “It appears he paid for my internships. He might’ve reimbursed me for the pain, but also appears to have decided to ruin my chances at any of the larger galleries on earth.”

She continued forward and kicked absently at a small rock. Trevor followed closely with Treble sitting up to watch them. She told him about the two options she had to decide from—becoming the head curator of a new gallery on Arcturus which would feature inter-species art to promote understanding of current and future allies _or_ start her own gallery somewhere.   She had enough credits to start a tiny, insignificant one.

“Arcturus?”

“Steven recommended me for the position.” Sonnet bent down to pluck a wildflower. “I am tempted. Curating art from various council races would be the ultimate insult to my father and his _opinions_. It would also be a rather large feather in the cap of a young curator just out of college.”

“ _Arcturus,_ ” Trevor repeated thoughtfully. “You would be safer amongst so many Alliance officers.”

“And closer to the Admiral,” Sonnet smiled wryly. “He might even consider it to be check-mate in the little game you two seem to be playing.”

Trevor wound his arm around her waist. She gasped in surprise when he swung her around and shoved her _carefully_ up against the trunk of a nearby tree. “I don’t play games, Sonnet. Is this _close_ enough for you?”

Sonnet canted her head to the side as he bent toward her and his lips grazed her temple. “For a man who doesn’t play, you seem very convinced of winning.”

“I will repeat this until you believe it. I _never_ play games to win a person, Sonnet. People aren’t prizes or objects to be owned.” His lips kissed a path from her temple along her cheek to the upturned corner of her mouth. “The only games I’ll ever play happen with a lot less fabric between us.”

“I have never met so many men who love to talk _so_ much.” Sonnet rested the tips of her fingers on his shoulder, adjusting his suit jacket nonchalantly. “You both talk and talk and talk. It is _exhausting_ to listen to all of your posturing.   I am _almost_ convinced you simply love the sound of your own voices.”

The hand casually holding her waist drifted all the way up her side, grazing the sides of her breast before coming to a stop at the base of her throat. Trevor traced the line of her collarbone then brought his fingers back to slowly wrap around her neck. His index finger and thumb pressed against the sides of her jaw to tilt her up slightly until their lips brushed together.

“No more talking.” She inhaled sharply when his hand tensed on her. “If you want me to play your games, I’m going to need a demonstration.”

“A demonstration? Should I demonstrate how quickly I can bring you to climax out here where anyone could see?” He growled the words against her mouth then gripped her bottom lip between his teeth to tug on it. His tongue teased her lips while his free hand worked to unbutton her jeans and slip inside. “You’re going to be a beautiful tease, aren’t you? I want to feel you gripping my fingers when I push them into you. You’ll need to be quiet though; can you be quiet for me?”

“Still _talking_.” Sonnet taunted him and was rewarded when he thrust two thick fingers into her. “Trevor.”

“Be a good little tease and ride my hand.” Trevor’s thumb flicked against her clit in rhythm with his fingers driving into her pussy. “I really cannot wait to taste you. I can’t wait to have you naked across my desk, on my bed and just about everywhere else. ”

“Oh, god.”

Trevor moved his hand from the front to the back of her neck. He pressed her against his suit to muffle her moans when he added a third finger.   Sonnet started to lift her hips up to meet his thrusts but he squeezed her tightly and told her to stay still.

“You wanted to see what I’m capable of. You focus on my fingers. You don’t move.” His voice seemed to deepen while she felt his impressive power. He was practically driving her back into the tree with each movement of his arm. “I want you to come for me, Sonnet. I can already feel you dripping down my hand, but I know there’s more, isn’t there?”

“I’m…”

“No.” His hand stilled inside her completely causing her to whine in frustration. “Ask.”

“Pardon?” She tried to lean her head back, but the hand on her neck made it impossible.

He teased her clit with a feathery touch. “Would you like to finish or should I just leave you dripping and hungry for more?”

“Again with the talking.”

“Then you talk. Can you beg prettily? I bet you can.” He tapped her clit with his thumb once, twice and a third time with differing strengths. “Say please, Sonnet.”

She attempted to shift forward on his fingers without success. There was something maddeningly enthralling about his demands. She caved after a moment, begging for the orgasm that he held as ransom. It didn’t take much—a hard thrust of his fingers and a pinch to her clit.

He was nauseatingly smug moments later while calmly licking each of his fingers clean. “I knew you’d be delicious. Was that check or checkmate?”

“You merely moved your first pawn.” Sonnet straightened her clothing. “And adequate move, but not your last or mine.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Outstanding orgasm aside, Sonnet found the next few days relatively Trevor free aside from meals together. She spent her time messaging with a Major Charles Wyatt who was in charge of gallery project on Arcturus. She also spent a fair amount of her day by the dog kennels meeting the new _puppy_ recruits. Treble would need to be replaced, though it broke her heart to even think about it.

Major Wyatt had a background in art history before he’d joined with the Alliance. Sonnet enjoyed her conversation with him. She’d decided to tentatively accept the offer to curate the gallery. It was likely the best offer she’d receive right out of college—maybe ever.

She refused to make choices based on whether it was convenient for anyone else, particularly a man.  Her entire life up to this point had seemed to revolve around manoeuvring around her father or being maneuvered by him.  If either Steven or Trevor wanted to be involved in her life, they’d have to make adjustments. She was _finished_ being the one to adjust.

“Are you all right?”

Sonnet took the cup of coffee Tristan handed to her. He sat beside her on the bench which ran along one side of the outside deck of the mansion. “I plan to return to London tomorrow.”

“ _Sonnet_.”

“There are six months left before my graduation. I will _not_ let him steal my education from me like he took the gallery position.” She blew carefully on the warm liquid. “I have to finish my degree before I can move to Arcturus.”

“So you picked the Admiral?”

“I haven’t _picked_ anyone, Tris.” Sonnet eyes narrowed on him sharply. “I am _not_ accepting the most amazing opportunity I might ever have to be close to a man.”

“You realize my father will follow you, right?” Tristan stretched his legs out in front of him and frowned when Treble growled at him. “This really is like my new favourite soap opera.”

“Tris?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Shut _up_.”

* * *

 

_From: Patrick Hoch_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: re: Opinion._

_You’re going to take it no matter what my opinion is._

_I think you’re enjoying, on some level, the tug-of-war between the two men, just don’t let it bite you in the ass._

_How are you really doing?_

_Sorry I couldn’t stay longer._

_Patrick_

* * *

 

Trevor had spent four days working personally with one of their dogs. He wanted to make sure she was trained _perfectly_. He’d been heavily involved with this particular shepherd since the puppy was born since Sonnet would’ve eventually needed a replacement for Treble in any case.

He refused to be satisfied unless he’d tested the dog to ensure she was as good as Treble had been. He scratched behind her ear. “You’re going to have to do a damn good job protecting this one, Clef. She’s important to me. Keep her safe, eh? Can you do that for me?”

“If she talks, I’m quitting.” Jackson, his head trainer, cuffed him on the back. “So tell me about the woman staying up at the house. There are a lot of rumours circulating.”

“Jackson.”

“How long have we worked together?” Jackson waved of his annoyed scowl. “I knew your stubborn ass back in boot camp. Don’t try that shit with me. You haven’t brought a woman home since Tristan was five or six. You go to _their_ places. So what’s the deal with this one?”

“I like her.”

“What are you fourteen?”

“I do _not_ pay you to provide sarcastic commentary especially when I get it for free from my son.” Trevor stood up and tapped his side for Clef to follow him. “I have an introduction to make. Oh, and Jackson, you aren’t invited to dinner tonight.”

“I’ll be sure to have Tristan send me a play by play like he usually does.” Jackson’s laughter followed him out of the kennel.

If the old man wasn’t the best damn trainer out there, Trevor would’ve been tempted to fire him. He was a _terrible_ influence on Tristan. He’d also been one of the only people to stick by Trevor when the Alliance threw him to the wolves.

_Maybe he deserved a raise._

The man had brought up a valid point.

_Why Sonnet?_

He hadn’t exactly been celibate over the years without Tristan’s mother. His relationships had tended to be brief given the nature of his work taking him everywhere. It didn’t seem fair to bring someone along for the ride, particularly when he’d already seen the toll it took on his son.

Sonnet was jotting notes down on a datapad when Trevor walked in through the back door with Clef close behind. She glanced over at him first then the dog following him. “New friend?”

“She is a very good friend of mine. I’ve been training her personally since she was a rambunctious puppy.” Trevor knelt down with an arm around the dog. He didn’t know for certain how Sonnet would react to her. “Her name is Clef, and she’s for you.”

“Clef?” Sonnet set her datapad aside and moved across the room to crouch next to him. She held her hand out for Clef to sniff. “She’s absolutely beautiful.”

“Let them get acquainted.” Trevor took her by the arm to help her up while Treble and Clef circled each other. He breathed a sigh of relief when the two seemed fine with each other. He turned his attention back to Sonnet. “I’m sorry I’ve been busy, I wanted to make sure Clef’s training was…where I wanted it to be.”

“I thought you had trainers.”

“I do.”

“Then…why?”

“She’s for you. You _matter_ to me. I wouldn’t risk sending a dog with you who isn’t trained by the best.” Trevor gripped her arm more tightly to lead her through the living room into the more private library.

“And you’re the best?”

“ _Always.”_

“The arrogance of the men I know could choke me at times.” Sonnet wandered away from him to examine one of the nearby bookshelves. “I’m returning to London tomorrow.”

“Is that wise?” Trevor didn’t believe it was. He wanted more time to ensure the Illusive Man wasn’t making plans to snatch her again. His ranch was more secure than her damn apartment. “I thought the college gave you a few more days.”

“I’m not sure you heard me. I _am_ returning to London tomorrow.” Sonnet glanced briefly at him over her shoulder then went back to inspecting the books. “I will of course take Clef, and whoever you’ve assigned to my protection detail.”

Trevor watched her silently for several minutes. Sonnet knew how to put on a damn good show of being above it all.   She distanced herself, he’d noticed, whenever someone started to matter to her.   He couldn’t blame her, life had taught her everyone would eventually be yanked away from her.

“I’ll be going to London with you, along with Tristan.” Trevor paused for a moment then broached the subject she’d been avoiding. “I also intend to create a satellite office on Arcturus. I’ll split my time between there and the ranch after you graduate.”

“An office on Arcturus? How incredibly fascinating.” Sonnet pulled one of the books down to skim through a few pages.

“Sonnet?”

She snapped the book shut and looked over at him. “Yes?”

“I haven’t left you alone for lack of interest. You dislike being controlled. I was concerned you might’ve felt I overstepped a few boundaries.” Trevor took slow, measured steps until he was standing in front of her. He slid a finger into one of the belt loops on her jeans and tugged her over into his arms. “I wanted you to have plenty of time to think about it.”

“And?”

Trevor smiled when he noticed her leaning into him “Have you thought about the day by the tree? Do you think about my fingers inside of you? “

“Talk, _talk_ , talk.”

“All this talk has you wet though, doesn’t it?” He started to bend forward for a kiss only to have Tristan interrupt them for dinner. “We’ll continue this later.”

“I’m _still_ leaving tomorrow.”

Trevor relinquished his hold on her jeans. “And I’ll be going with you.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short. Sorry. =)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Trevor leaned against the door to the guest room Sonnet had been staying in for the past few days. He’d been _remarkably_ restrained in his eyes, considering his room was literally across the hall. She was packing up the last of her things, preparing for the trip back to London.

“If you intend to continue staring at my ass, why don’t you come closer and help me pack?” Sonnet didn’t turn around or straighten up so he walked over to her. She tilted her head to peer back at him when he brushed against the back of her leather trousers. “Not _that_ close.”

“Why ever not? I can get a much better look from here.” Trevor’s hands drifted up the back of her legs to graze along the seam of her pants running up her behind. “I _love_ you in leather.”

“Down boy.”

“Do I look like Treble?”

“You do growl occasionally.” Sonnet swatted him with the sleeve of a sweater before putting it into her bag. She sighed heavily and twisted around to sit on the edge of the bed. She pointed toward the empty spot beside her. “Sit. _Stay_.”

He shook his head at her, but sat beside her nonetheless. “Why am I sitting?”

Sonnet folded and refolded a shirt a few times before answering him. “I did _not_ pick Arcturus to be close to Admiral Hackett. And if I _hadn’t_ picked Arcturus, it wouldn’t have been to be close to you. I made this decision for _myself_. I wasn’t making a statement with the choice.”

“Oh, Little Tease, yes you were.” Trevor wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You were telling your father to go screw himself with a sharp and pointed stick. It took a lot of courage, and you should be proud of yourself. I am.”

“Oh.”

“You have spent far too long trying to swim the deep water with the weight of your father on your shoulders.” He ignored the way she tensed beside him. He wanted this conversation over and done with once and for all, not danced around needlessly for months and months. He wasn’t Hackett; word games were pointless and exhausting. “I never expected you to decide where to go based on my wants. Why would you? Forgetting the fact that you don’t owe _anyone_ anything, you _deserve_ the opportunity to fulfill your dreams. What kind of man stands in the way of someone else’s dreams? And proximity to Hackett doesn’t mean you’re going to fall into his arms.”

“It doesn’t?” Sonnet remarked drily. “How good of you to notice.”

“I fully intend to keep you in _my_ arms as much as possible. It might hinder him just a little.” He glanced over at Treble and Clef who were curled up together. “You could take both of them, allow Treble to transition into being simply a dog without the _guard_.”

“It would break my heart if he were shot again.” Sonnet leaned her head against his chest to his surprise. “I think Treble has been one of my most loyal friends since I left Mindoir. He’s been at times the only one to put his concern for me above himself.”

“Not the only one,” he corrected. “Not anymore.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Her father had never once attended an event related to her academic career. _Never._    It was likely he hadn’t bothered to check in with her tutors when she’d studied on the Cerberus station. Absentee father didn’t even begin to describe him.

So when the Illusive Man showed up for her graduation this time, Sonnet was immediately on edge. She couldn’t imagine any pleasant reason for him to be sitting in the first of the family rows. The numerous armoured individuals who’d come with him didn’t help her nerves at all.  She didn’t remember seeing him _ever_ travel with so many operatives.

It wasn’t a _surprise_ when Trevor, Tristan and Clef met her at the bottom of the stairs leading away from the stage. Patrick stood off to the side with Walker and Steven. They had all come to see her graduate so she wouldn’t be alone. It was a sweet gesture from the closest thing to a family she’d had since Mindoir.

“We’re going to leave through the back.” Trevor kept his eyes on the Cerberus operatives while his arm wound around Sonnet’s shoulders to guide her toward a door behind the stage. “Tristan, watch..”

“I wish to speak with my daughter.” Her father’s clipped tones did nothing to stop Trevor’s forward movement. He followed them past the line of graduates to join them behind the stage—without his operatives. “I only want to talk.”

“No.” Patrick immediately stepped in his path. “You don’t deserve to call her your daughter, let alone insist on speaking with her.”

“I should have had them kill you. Torture didn’t gain me a thing.” He attempted to move around Patrick.

“Well, well, well.” Sonnet wrenched herself away from Trevor to step over to Patrick’s side. “You finally admit to torturing Patrick.”

His eyes were devoid of emotion when he glanced toward her. “I could have easily ended both of your lives at any point over the last few years. I could do it now if I wished.”

“You son-of-a-bitch.” Patrick’s temper was clearly starting to rise beyond his control.

Sonnet placed a hand on his arm while focusing on her father. “Why are you even here? Did you show up to create a scene?”

“I’m here to see my daughter graduate,” he remarked dismissively.

“You’ve seen me graduate.” Sonnet could feel the level of tension around her rising steadily.  She refused to allow the celebration of her accomplishment to be overshadowed and ruined by a group of idiotic, testosterone-filled, over-grown children. “And now it’s time for you to leave. Let me have this day without yet another exhausting and pointless confrontation.”

“You should listen to her.” Hackett stepped up on Patrick’s other side. “

“And what will you do to stop me? Hmm? The Alliance can’t afford to anger me, can they?” Her father ignored both men and turned back to Sonnet. “I will leave when I’m good and read to go. I want to discuss…”

With what sounded like an exasperated growl, though Sonnet didn’t know who it was directed at, Trevor shoved Patrick and Hackett out of his way. He wrapped one strong hand around her father’s throat to silence him and his second took a hold of his two wrists. Trevor dragged the Illusive Man down behind the stage and locked him in a nearby supply closet. He keyed the lock with his omni-tool to prevent him from escaping easily.

The rest of the group were still staring in shock when Trevor waltzed back over to look his arm around Sonnet. He led her through the exit out to where a shuttle waited for them. Sonnet dissolved into helpless laughter the moment she was seated inside the Kodiak.

“Alliance bastards, always waiting for a damn invitation to solve a problem instead of getting their hands dirty and stopping the problem from happening in the first place.” Trevor waited until Tristan and Clef joined them to shut the door in Hackett and Patrick’s face. “Get your own damn ride.”

Sonnet exchanged an amused glance with Tristan. “Did he really just do that?”

“He’s getting cranky in his old age.” Tristan dodged the hand that flew towards his head. “And abusive.”

“Go sit with the pilot.” Trevor grabbed his son by the arm to shove him forward. He crouched down in front of Sonnet. His hands gripped the edge of her seat on either side of her. She could feel his arms against the outside of her knees. “I planned a little something to celebrate your _impressive_ accomplishment. Will you go out to dinner with me, just the two of us?”

“Weren’t we supposed to meet Patrick, Steven and Walker for dinner?” Sonnet got a little lost in his eyes for a moment.

“Say yes.”

“For the first time in my life, I have the chance to celebrate something I have done with what can very loosely be described as a family. You’re just going to have to come with me and whatever it is you have planned can _wait_ until later or tomorrow.” Sonnet tried valiantly to ignore the thumbs stroking her knees through the dress she wore. “Seduction will have to wait.”

“Seduction?” Trevor bent forward until he was pressed against her with his lips hovering by her ear. “You’ve already been seduced, little tease.”

She ignored the intense man as he moved to sit beside her on the shuttle and told Tristan to inform the pilot where the restaurant was. Trevor’s bulk blocked both Tristan and the pilot’s view of her. It didn’t initially mean anything until she felt the back of his fingers brush against her bare knee.

He twisted his head toward her and raised a finger to his mouth by way of warning. His other hand drifted up the inside of her thigh under her skirt. She pressed her lips together to keep a gasp from escaping when the tip of his finger nudged against her silk panties.

The initial strokes were soft and barely noticeable. Trevor shifted to the side to pull her panties to the side. He worked three fingers under the material to begin teasing her. Sonnet kept her feet pressed firmly to the floor though her legs spread slightly to provide more space.  

She was impressed at how his arm barely seemed to flex while he thrust his fingers into her. Her leg shifted back and forth as she tried to stop herself from grinding up against his hand. She barely heard his gravelly whisper when he promised to tease her all evening until they were alone. It didn’t really register when she was doing everything she could to not cry out when he purposefully pinched her clit in time with each subtle thrust of his fingers.

“You _will_ come and I hope you leave a nice little wet spot on the seat. How many times can I make you orgasm this evening within hearing of everyone?” Trevor kept his voice low. “How quiet can you be, Sonnet?”

“ _Trevor.”_ She hissed at him when he flicked her clit.   Her eyes strayed up to where the two men at the front of the shuttle seemed to have no clue what was going on behind them. “Trevor…”

“Ahh, there’s the first one.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

In the thirty days it took for Sonnet to move into her new apartment on Arcturus, her father had made three attempts to contact her. Trevor had so far not interfered since she always seemed to know how to put the bastard in his place. Hoch and Hackett accused him of failing to _keep_ her safe.

His job wasn’t to protect her from difficult things in life. If Jack Harper attempted to grab her or physically harm a hair on her head, Trevor fully intended to put another bullet or ten in the man. Sonnet was a strong enough woman to handle the messages.   She didn’t need Trevor to play nanny.

It was no secret Trevor enjoyed control, particularly in the bedroom. His employees might say he wanted control _everywhere_. He believed, however, in balancing it out in other aspects of an intimate relationship. He knew the dangers of wanting someone totally independent on him. It was a mistake he’d made once and never intended to repeat.

There was another reason for his careful handling of Sonnet. She’d dealt with overly controlling men her entire life. If he pushed her too far or too hard, Sonnet would likely take him to task for it.

He glanced around the newly set up satellite office of the Meadows Firm with a satisfied smile. They’d had it up and running for five weeks already. He had been pleasantly surprised by an influx of former Alliance officers who had struggled to find work on Arcturus showing up to hire on.   The only person who seemed to have trouble with it was Admiral Hackett, he _wasn’t_ surprised by it.

“Trevor?”

He glanced up from a report on a mission in San Diego to find Sonnet hesitantly hovering by his office door. “Did you lose Tristan already?”

“He’s lugging some supplies to the gallery space for me.” Sonnet leaned her hip against the edge of his desk. “Steven invited me out to dinner.”

“Two nights in a row?” Trevor had selected someone other than himself for last night’s date. He didn’t think Sonnet would appreciate a repeat of the last time he’d been part of her security team on a date.

“I said no.”

“Playing hard to get?” Trevor teased.

Sonnet paced the length of his office a few times before stopping in front of him with her hands on her hips. “I do not understand you. You don’t even seem to care that I’m out on a date with another man. Steven…”

“I’m not Steven.” Trevor snatched the edge of her skirt to drag her forward until she stood between his legs. His fingers glided along the inside of her thigh. “I don’t give a damn if you go to dinner with him every night for the next month. He’s not the one giving you multiple orgasms, is he? Eh, Little Tease? It isn’t _his_ name you’re whispering.”

“ _Trevor_.” Sonnet squeezed her legs together to stop the upward movement. “We are in your office, and the door isn’t even locked.”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to work quickly.” He tugged on her skirt until she had to straddle his leg.   He spread her skirt a little while flexing his thigh muscle against her.  He waited until he could tell she was close to lift her back to her feet. “I hope you enjoy your dinner.”

She took a few minutes to regain her breath and then frowned down at him. “You confuse me.”

“How?” Trevor tilted his head to glance up at her with his hand lightly massaging her knee. “Do you want me to fight for you?”

“I…”

“I told Hackett, and I will tell you. I want you and I want you to be the one to come to me. I won’t sleep with you until you do.” Trevor dropped his hand away from her and leaned casually back in his office chair. “I won’t pressure you and I have no desire to force you into a decision. When you decide to stop wasting time on a man who can’t make you scream in pleasure, you’ll knock on my door and until then, I’ll savour the little teasing tastes. Not every fight needs to start with fists and end in bloody noses.”

“You are rather confident.”

“Enjoy your meal, Sonnet.” Trevor stood and with a hand on her to lead her over to the door. He bent forward to whisper against the back of her neck. “When you do end up in my bed, Little Tease, I’ll want to keep you there.”

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Dinner with Hackett began awkwardly with a missed kiss, Sonnet had turned toward Tristan who was behind her and the Admiral caught her on the side of her cheek. She barely kept a straight face when her _security_ muffled their laughter with exaggerated coughs. It becomes increasingly worse with each passing second.  The conversation was stilted and the air felt oppressive.

It was a little or a lot unfair to be only paying attention to the man in front of her because Trevor’s words were dancing around in her head. Sonnet couldn’t seem to stop her mind and body from focusing on him instead of the Admiral. She should be aroused by her date, _not_ a man who wasn’t even in the restaurant.

Pushing her food around listlessly on her plate, Sonnet couldn’t handle Hackett concerned inquiry when she hadn’t even taken a bite. She pushed away from the table and went quickly across the restaurant into the women’s restroom which was blissfully empty. She glared at her reflection for a moment.

Sonnet gripped the sink and bent forward over it. “Get. A. Grip. You are a Harper, more importantly, you are a Wells, and you do not get flustered over a man. You fluster them.”

“Sonnet?” Tristan poked his head inside to check if she was alone. He ducked inside the restroom with her. “You all right?”

“I _am_ fine.”

“Right. Is this fine like you were in our second year in college when you ate like three pounds of sushi after almost failing an exam?” Tristan leaned against one of the sinks.

She fiddled with her omni-tool when it beeped only to find yet another message from her father. Her former flustered feelings drained away into nothing while she read the accusations he made about Steven and Trevor. Her father claimed the men had a long history of dating each other’s women, fighting over them, starting with Tristan’s mother.

“Sonnet?”

“Did Steven ever…” She pressed her lips together, not wanting to drag Tristan into something like this when it involved his parents. “I’m going to the gallery to think.”

“To think? You’re in the middle of a date.” Tristan held his hands up in surrender. “What are you...?”

“Not now, Tris.” She stormed by him out of the restroom. She paused by the table to collect Clef who’d stayed by her chair. “I’m leaving. Don’t follow. Clef is very adept at the attack command.”

* * *

 

_From: Tristan_

_To: Dad_

_Subj: Gallery._

_Get your ass here now._

_Tristan_

* * *

 

He was going to have a long chat with his son about appropriate messaging during work hours. “Where is she?”

Tristan was leaning against the sealed doors of what would eventually be the new Arcturus gallery with a frown on his face. He waved his thumb in the direction of the door. “She’s in there arguing with a Picasso.”

“Why is she arguing with a Picasso?”

“Mentioned your name and Hackett’s, and then told me to get the hell out,” Tristan shrugged.

Trevor couldn’t recall ever seeing Sonnet actually raise her voice. She was damn near screaming at a row of Picasso paintings. He would have to calm her down before figuring out what the hell had upset her.

She rounded on him and Trevor surged into motion. He caught her by the throat to press against the wall between two paintings with his thigh pressed forward separating her legs. She was momentarily silent with her head cocked to the side as she frowned at him.

“I want you to calm down. “Trevor kept his voice low while he held her tightly. “I want you to take a few slow breaths, Sonnet. Calm. Down.”

“My father claims I am nothing but the new toy in a game you and Hackett have been playing for years. He suggested Steven was with Tristan’s mother first and you stole her away.” Sonnet struggled against him so he reiterated his softly spoken command for calm. “You stay calm and answer my question. Is it true?”

“Hackett _was_ with my wife first.” Trevor tightened his fingers slightly when she opened her mouth. “ _Listen_. My wife was ten years older than me. She dated Hackett in her teens. I didn’t meet her until _much,_ much later. He and I have never gone after the same woman until now.”

Sonnet brought her hands up to rest on his chest. “Release me.”

Trevor pulled his fingers away one at a time. He carried her one last time then put a bit of space between them. “About your father…”

“He plays with the truth. I do actually know it. I shouldn’t have let him get to me.” Sonnet wilted into herself a little. “I’m going home.

He stretched his arm out to stop her. “Hackett is nothing more than an obstacle for me to step over on my way to you. Your father wants you off-balance so it’s easier for him to manipulate you.”

“He was unfortunately successful with this attempt.” Sonnet flushed when her stomach gurgled loudly. “I walked out on dinner.”

“Let me make you something.” Trevor let his fingers drift along her arm and up under the sleeve of her dress. “You can sit in the kitchen while I cook, and I can convince you to give up on the Admiral and spend your time with me.”

Ten minutes later, Sonnet found herself perched on a barstool with her elbows on a raised counter watching Trevor skilfully slice up sushi-grade tuna for her. He had a pot of seasoned rice going and a few other fixings as well. She leaned forward to take the marinated slice he held out between his fingers. She licked the sauce that dripped onto his fingers before easing back into her seat.

“Since when do you make sushi?”

Trevor paused in the middle of checking something in the oven. “I picked it up a few months ago.”

“Why?”

“You.”

Sonnet wiped a drop of soy sauce from the edge of her mouth. “Me? You learned the intricate art of sushi for me?”

Trevor set the knife down to stride purposefully around the kitchen island to step in front of her. He cupped her face with his hands. His fingers drifted up into her soft brown hair. “You _are_ worth the effort, Sonnet. You _deserve_ someone who is willing to go the extra mile to learn how to make sushi and bake your favourite desserts, like caramel apple upside down cake. You _deserve_ it.”

“Deserving it and receiving it don’t always come together as a pair,” Sonnet argued.

“Then you should be careful not to let me go since it’s a package deal as far as I’m concerned.” He went back into the kitchen to pull the rice off of the stove and give Sonnet a moment to consider his words. “You’ve gone on multiple dates with Hackett. I’d like to take you out.”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise.” Trevor tilted his head to smile wickedly at her. “Wear a dress.”

“Just a dress?”

“ _Only_ the dress.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Food Reference: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/101929248156/delta-breezes-salted-caramel-apple-upside-down
> 
> http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/101928903426/intensefoodcravings-tuna-sashimi-rice-bowl-with


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Patrick Hoch_

_Subj: re: Sonnet._

_You’re being an idiot._

_Sonnet understood. She isn’t upset at you, if anything she was wondering where you’d disappeared of to when she moved to Arcturus._

_How is staying away doing a damn thing?_

_Get your ass to Arcturus and talk to her._

_Walker_

* * *

 

Sonnet had spent her morning finishing up work on the human section of the Arcturus gallery. The next few months would allow her the first chance to really explore paintings from outside of humanity. She was thrilled at the prospect. It was a new challenge for her as well and something to get her mind off of the bizarre behaviour of the men in her lives.

It had taken a little arm-twisting, but Tristan finally caved and told her where his father intended to take her. He knew because he’d been the one to book the private transport for them. Trevor was taken her to a newly opened inter-species gallery on an Asari resort planet. The owner of the gallery owed the Meadows Firm a favour, so they’d have the entire space to themselves for an evening.

She was sitting having lunch with Tristan when Patrick joined them. “Finished berating yourself?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be over there.” Tristan grabbed his tray of food and moved across the little diner to a table near the door.

“I didn’t know he did discrete.” Patrick glanced over his shoulder to watch him go.

“Patrick?” Sonnet tapped her fork against her glass to get his attention. “You disappeared on me.”

“Alliance…”

“Or guilt?” She interrupted with a wave of her fork. She dropped it on her plate and pushed it away. They needed to have this conversation to its completion. She didn’t like the strange tension between them. “Trevor unfairly accused you of things back in London. He simplified something which was beyond complicated. I know you looked out for me. I know you kept the doctors from doing anything other than fixing my throat the first time.”

“I could’ve done more.”

“Every adult in my life could’ve done more when I was growing up.” Sonnet took a sip of her wine. “From my mother, to her family who took me in, to my own father to you and the Alliance, it was the adults who let me down collectively. You did more than most to keep me safe.”

“The mission wasn’t more important than your happiness.” Patrick waved off her offer of wine. “Walker’s going to be assigned to the _Normandy_. He’l l be here in a few days.”

“So he said.” She didn’t want to let him get away with the sudden change of subject. “Patrick?”

“Hmm?”

“I would’ve been proud to have you as my father.” She stretched her arm across the table to touch the back of his hand. “Stop hiding behind missions to avoid seeing me. I missed you and the way you growl at Trevor and Steven. It’s amusing.”

His eyes narrowed which made her laugh. “I’m retiring.”

“Oh?”

“There’s an opening at the Meadows Firm. I’ve decided to take the position.” His eyes held a slightly gleeful look which worried Sonnet. “I’ll be watching your back with Tristan.”

“Wonderful.” She took a larger sip of wine. “No comments about my dates.”

“No promises.”

_Damn it._

At the end of her day, Sonnet stood in her closet trying to find the right dress. She had _no_ intention of going bare underneath. Trevor couldn’t be allowed to have his way all the time.   She already had the ensemble for underneath her dress ready. It was dainty and lacy white stockings with garters and a chemise top with barely there panties to go with it.

She figured it would make a significant enough impact when his hands decided to wanders since they were prone to do so. She finally grabbed a rather simple white dress which would cover all the important surprises from view. It flowed around her legs while clinging to her upper body just right. From the whistle Tristan gave when she stepped into the living room, it had been the right choice.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” Tristan called out to her as she walked toward the front door.

“Stop talking, I’m visualizing turning you into dog food.” Sonnet glared at him. “It requires concentration.”

“ _Mean._ ”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

The moment Trevor stepped into Sonnet’s quarters and caught a glimpse of her in the stunning dress, he realized he’d made a critical mistake. His plans to impress her with a private tour of a new gallery and an amazing restaurant on Elysium were all wrong. It wasn’t his style, it was more like Hackett.

Trevor pulled up his omni-tool to send a message to an old Alliance buddy of his who was heading to Earth in a few hours. He happened to be the captain of one of the newer Alliance ships. The captain agreed to hold the ship at dock to give them a lift to New York.

“Trevor?” Sonnet glanced briefly down at her dress and up at him in confusion since he hadn’t bothered to even say hello. “Wrong dress?”

“You are _remarkable_ in it.” Trevor silenced his son with a glare. He closed the distance and leaned in to speak so Tristan couldn’t hear. “It’s our first real date; I want to do something a little more special. Perhaps something more casual?”

While Sonnet changed, Trevor went back to his omni-tool to set up his plans. He contacted Jackson at the ranch to get the main house opened.   It was early enough in the autumn that it shouldn’t be too cold for what he had planned. He sent a grocery list to the housekeeper and had Jackson get horses ready along with setting something up on the property for him.

He wanted this date to be perfect—to be him. Sonnet should see him for who he was and then decide for certain. He wanted this to be special and his ranch was the best place for it.   It would separate him from men like Hackett.

“Better?” Sonnet caught his attention when she returned wearing jeans, a white turtleneck with a dark blue blazer. She’d also changed out of her stilettos into a pair of mid-calf boots.

“You still look remarkably beautiful.” Trevor smacked his son on the back of the head when he laughed. “Behave yourself.”

“Me?” Tristan rolled his eyes at them.

“Why the change of plans?” Sonnet asked once they were ensconced in armchairs in a private cabin on the ship sitting across from each other. “Where are we going anyway?”

“Somewhere you can see me for who I am.” Trevor stretched his arm across the cabin to catch her wrist to yank her out of her chair and over into his lap. “Arcturus is Hackett’s world. I’m taking you back into mine.”

“So it’s not a simple dinner date with a woman in a beautiful dress?” Sonnet’s voice was soft, but held a bitter edge to it.

“Anyone can go to a restaurant; anyone can wear a beautiful dress.” Trevor shifted her around so she was sitting sideways on him. He gripped her chin to tilt her head toward him. “You are more than the clothes your father’s credits bought and the beauty your mother passed down to you. You’re an extraordinary woman who has risen above damn difficult circumstances. If I wanted a quick fuck, I would’ve taken you against one of the walls I’ve held you against. You’re worth the effort to do _more_ than a simple dinner, Sonnet.”

“It’s been my experience men who flattery me with flower language are usually the first ones attempting to get under my skirt.” Sonnet crossed her legs casually as if she weren’t sitting on his lap and raised her eyebrow coolly at him.

“You’re not wearing a skirt.” He could’ve slid his hands along the inside seam of her jeans or underneath her shirt. He opted instead to lift up the loose ponytail her hair was in to cover the sensitive skin along the back of her neck with light kisses. “And you haven’t made your decision yet.”

Not giving her a chance to respond, Trevor lifted her up and set her back into her own chair. He shifted their conversation to the progress she’d made with the gallery. Sonnet easily fell into a passionate discussion of differing artistry from various species.

The trip to his ranch didn’t take that long from the New York City skyport. Sonnet glanced around in surprise when she stepped out of the shuttle. She turned to him with confusion in her eyes.

“Why here?”

“You’ll see.” Trevor let her greet Treble while he checked in with Jackson.

With Jackson distracting her, Trevor stepped into the kitchen to prepare. He had a thermos of spiked coffee, a chilled box with fruit along with small cubes of cake and a chocolate mousse. He had a number of ideas for the silky chocolate. Sonnet was waiting on the steps when he joined her on the front porch.

“Ready?” He nodded to where Jackson was leading up to beautiful horses. The chestnut was perfect for Sonnet, gentle with a hint of power to make sure she could keep up with Trevor’s horse, a stunning dark bay. “I thought you might enjoy going for a ride.”

Sonnet raised an eyebrow at him in amusement. Her laughter caught in her throat when he caught her and lifted her up onto the horse. His hand squeezed her thigh tightly. “ _Trevor._ ”

“Hmm?” His thumb stroked absently on the inside of her thigh. “Ready?”

They didn’t ride for too long. Trevor didn’t want Sonnet to be too sore for the things he hoped to enjoy later. They left the horses behind on the outskirts of part of the forest which covered several acres of the ranch. He lead her through the forest to a quiet and private clearing where Jackson had set up a few things for him.

“Trevor?” Sonnet glanced first at the thick blankets spread at the base of a large tree.   There was a small wooden table on top with everything they’d need for a light snack. Jackson had thought to add a few pillows and lit lanterns hung overhead. “Are we having a picnic?”

He moved up behind her until his body was pressed against hers. “A very private picnic.”

Sonnet took several steps away from him until the blankets and short table separate them. “I made my decision.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Style Reference: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/102414610026/queenoflt-denim-scarf-and-boots-by-regatta-1
> 
> Picnic Reference: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/102414443541


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

“And?” Trevor asked impatiently. “What have you decided?”

Sonnet glanced down at the picnic. “This is lovely, but I am _freezing_ and I know what you’re going to want to do when I answer, and I’m not going to freeze to death the first time.”

“So it’s yes, but you want to go inside.” Trevor bent down to snag the picnic basket. “I have many plans for the chocolate mousse in this basket, but I’ll admit being a few steps from my walk-in shower will make it so much more enjoyable.”

It was hard not to laugh at the way Trevor rushed them back to the house. Sonnet couldn’t recall the man ever _rushing_ to do anything.   She was plucked off of the back of her horse and carried inside and up to his bedroom before she could say anything.

“Trevor Meadows put me down.” She glared at the unmoving man while he strode across his room with her. “We are not married, and you do not need to carry me across the threshold of anything.”

“Nothing in this bedroom is about _need_. It’s all about want.” Trevor set her on the bench at the foot of his over-sized bed.   He knelt in front of her and reached up to start removing her boots. “And it’s time to show you what I want.”

“You really do love to talk.” Sonnet dragged her stocking covered toes along the inside seam of his jeans. “Talk, talk, talk. One of these days I’ll meet a man who _doesn’t_ dull my ears with nothing, but words.”

There was initially no response from Trevor. He worked to slowly remove her jeans and the rest of her clothing and left her in nothing, but her garters and stockings.   He sat back on his heels and simply looked up at her for a moment.

Sonnet had been nude in front of several men over the years. She wasn’t a virgin, yet she couldn’t recall ever feeling quite so naked before. Trevor’s hands caught her knees to keep her from closing her legs.   She met his gaze without flinching and patently _refused_ to blush under his scrutiny.

Releasing the catch on her stockings, Trevor peeled them down her legs _gently_. He considered her for a moment then caught her hips to lift her up over the wooden frame of the bed and deposit her on the large quilt.   He took her wrists to wrap the stockings around them before pushing her arms up over her head.

“No more talking.” Trevor made sure she was propped up comfortably with a pillow. He reached out to grab a silk tie that she’d seen him wear once before. He tapped her chin until she opened her mouth and pressed the center of the tie between her lips then tied it behind her head. He slid a small ring with a button on it on her finger and twisted it around. “If you want me to stop, press the button and it’ll set of an alarm.”

Once Sonnet nodded in understanding, Trevor climbed off of the bed. He surveyed his work for a moment then stripped of his own clothes at a leisurely place. She allowed herself to enjoy the slow reveal of the man she’d been thinking about for a long while. Her fingers clenched slightly wanting to explore the taut muscles of his upper body and greying hairs on his chest.

“Is this quiet enough for you, little tease?” Trevor’s fingers started at the tip of her toes and feathered along her leg, up her side and over her right breast. He caught her chin in his hand and pushed her head to the right. His thumb pressed into her mouth. “You’re going to be _very_ good for me, aren’t you?”

His thumb pulled free from her mouth and Sonnet licked her lips. Trevor moved away from the bed to retrieve a few items Sonnet couldn’t quite see from the nearby dresser. He took two lengths of rope and spread her legs then tied her ankles to keep them apart. He knelt beside her again and reached up to cover her eyes with the palm of his hand.

She grumbled into the stocking pointlessly only to whimper a moment later when something cold was pressed against her pussy. It was pulled back only for her to feel his fingers pulling her labia apart. Trevor pushed the cold thing between them and suddenly mild vibrations sent her bucking against him.

Wiggling as much as the ties would allow, Sonnet wasn’t sure if she was attempting to evade the vibrator or enjoy more of it.   Trevor’s mouth closed around her nipple while he shifted the vibrations along her pussy. She rolled her hips slightly as much as the ropes allowed. Her first orgasm hit her when he guided the vibrator up to rest directly on her clit.

“One.”

The one word from Trevor brought Sonnet back to herself.   She heard a click then the vibrations were gone. He ran his finger lightly through the moisture dripping from her and dipped it into her. She wasn’t entirely certain she could handle the touch so soon.

Trevor apparently disagreed.

He moved down between her legs. His hands firmly gripping her thighs while he bent forward to lick along her slit. He bit and tugged on her sensitive labia. He alternated between licks and bites as his finger began thrusting into her.

The slick sounds her body was making told her how wet she was. Sonnet squirmed underneath him. Trevor reached up with one hand to start tweaking first one nipple then her other. He continued adding fingers until there were four twisting around inside of her.   He sucked hard on her clit and she all but convulsed against him.

“ _Two._ ”

She thought there might be a respite, but Trevor never let up. Her nipples were hard and beyond sensitive when he finally moved his hand away from them. He began to flick his fingers against her clit repeatedly with increasing strength until finally it happened.

“ _Three._ ”

He untied her then only to flip her over and pull her up on her knees bent over a pillow. He retied her legs then shifted up until he was between her legs. His hand came down on her ass lightly and she jolted underneath.

“Still have the ring?” Trevor waited until she nodded her head to continue.  He bent forward and his cock pressed against her. “I had it made for you. I wanted you to _always_ have a way to tell me when to stop.”

Something slender pressed into her pussy, Sonnet tried to glance behind her since she knew it wasn’t wide enough to be his cock. She’d caught a glimpse of him at full length and…he wasn’t slender by any stretch of the imagination. Trevor caught her hair and forced her to stay looking forward.

“No peeking.” He swatted her ass again then began fucking her with whatever the toy was.

It wasn’t enough to bring her to another climax, but it kept her on the edge. Sonnet was wishing for a little more freedom of movement when Trevor removed the toy from her. She whimpered in surprise when it moved up to drag along to press against her ass.

“Relax, Sonnet.” Trevor reached around to steadily tap her clit again. Sonnet rocked against his hand and the thin dildo was fully inside her ass before she even realized it.  He loosened the ropes on her legs slightly to allow her more movement. “Am I talking enough for you now?”

She started to twist her head around to glare at him, but Trevor bent over her. His arm reached around and his hand caught by the throat. She barely had a second to process when he drove his cock into her pussy. His body pressed against the toy pushing it deeper in her as well.

“I want to feel number four.” Trevor abandoned any pretense of gentle. He thrust into her hard enough it pulled her against the ropes. “Be a good little tease. Come for me again.”

Sonnet didn’t think she had another one in her. Trevor rode her hard with his fingers tightening slightly around her neck. She moaned into the tie in her mouth. He reached between them to tap against the base of the dildo.

Trevor pulled out of her after her orgasm subsided. He sprayed her ass with his own climax. She was still trembling from the aftershocks of pleasure after he’d cleaned her up and untied her. He stretched out on his side under the quilt and gathered her up in his arms. His arm wrapped around her head pressing it against his chest.

“ _Four,_ ” Sonnet muttered before drifting off to sleep.

 


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Trevor hadn’t woken up with a woman in his arms in quite a while. Sonnet’s dark brown hair tickled his nose. He shifted her slightly in his grasp so his chin rested on the top of her head. She grumbled at him then pressed closer.

He had plans for breakfast in bed for the both of them. _Eventually._ Sonnet had, to his knowledge, never allowed a man to sleep over or slept over with a man. Tristan had teased her once about being the queen of making the walk of shame look like a catwalk.

It wasn’t all that surprising really to Trevor. Sonnet had grown up in a world where being guarded and hiding vulnerabilities were the only chance she’d have for a moment of peace. She’d been playing adult games from an early age.

Grabbing his omni-tool from the nightstand, Trevor sent a message first to Tristan to let him know they’d be returning to Arcturus a little later than anticipated. His second one went to Jackson to get him to wake the housekeeper a little earlier than normal. She made the most amazing homemade biscuits with jam.

He had more than a few ideas for breakfast.

“You plot impressively loudly for someone who isn’t saying anything.” Sonnet complained sleepily with a yawn. She shifted over on her back to stare up at the ceiling. “I have usually made a discrete escape by this point.”

“Not with me?”

“I’m not sure I could ride a horse all the way to Arcturus.” Sonnet stretched her legs out under the quilt. “It was tempting to try, just to see the look on your face when you realized I’d left with one of your horses.”

“Horse thief.”

The only response Trevor received was a very quiet sigh as Sonnet appeared to drift off to sleep again. He carefully extracted himself from the bed. He tucked her in before heading down to the kitchen to check on progress of breakfast.

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: Patrick Hoch_

_Subj: re: Sonnet._

_What do you mean you have no idea where she is?_

_Aren’t you part of her security team again?_

_Steven_

* * *

 

_From: Patrick Hoch_

_To: Steven Hackett_

_Subj: re: Sonnet._

_I’m not in the Alliance anymore, Steven. You can’t order me to tell you where she is. If Sonnet wanted you to know where she went, she would’ve told you._

_I know she’s safe, and that is all that matters to me._

_Patrick_

* * *

 

Sonnet woke up for a second time and started to stretch herself only to find her arms were restrained and she was laying naked on top of the quilt. “ _Trevor Meadows_.”

“Yes?”

She opened her eyes to glare at him in annoyance. “Untie me.”

Trevor lifted a spoon filled with some sort of berry jam. “Are you sure you want me to untie you before we enjoy breakfast in bed?”

_Tempting, tempting devil of a man._

She glanced down at her naked, bound body then over at a tray sitting on his nightstand which held a plate of biscuits, the jam and two cups of what she assumed was coffee.   Trevor lifted the spoon up to his lips and slowly licked the jam from it while his eyes stayed focused on her.

“I’d like it more if I was eating it off you.” Trevor tapped the spoon against his bottom lip. “Well?”

“How exactly am I supposed to enjoy breakfast?” Sonnet tugged at the restraints keeping her arms bound to the headboard.

“Do you trust me?”

“No.”

He dipped the spoon into the jar of jam then knelt on the bed beside her. Sonnet scowled at him, but eventually let him feed her the sweet berries. He leaned forward almost immediately to dip his tongue between her lips for a taste.

“I was right, it is much better on you.” Trevor reached over for the jar and began to slowly tilt it until the thick liquid dripped down her collarbone, over her breasts and trickled down across her stomach. “Trust me.”

“Why?” She barely got the word out when he swirled his tongue around a jam covered nipple.

“I’ve never betrayed your trust. I’ve never lied to you.” Trevor dragged the spoon between her breasts and down until he reached the top of her pussy. He dipped the cool metal between her lips. “And you know I’ll give you all the pleasure you can handle, probably more.”

Not waiting for a response, Trevor started to lick the sticky juice covering her body. He teased her with the spoon the entire time. The cold metal started to warm up with each shallow thrust. She started to complain about wanting more when he brought his free hand up to press three fingers into her mouth, silencing her.

Sensitive and tender from last night, Sonnet whimpered around his fingers when Trevor pressed the rounded edge of the spoon directly on her clit. He ignored her and bluntly massaged her with it. He held her thighs apart when she tried to clench them together. His teeth latched on to her nipple and almost broke the restraints as her body reacted to the stimulation.

He waited until she’d calmed down from the orgasm to remove the spoon and his fingers. “Would you like a little breakfast now?”

“Are you planning on untying me anytime soon?” Sonnet frowned when he began to slather jam onto a biscuit.

“Not a chance in hell, little tease, not a chance in hell.” He ran his fingers along the inside of arm her while he moved back over on the bed. He held the biscuit to her lips. “You’re still wearing the ring, if you want me to let you go, press the button.”

“Or?”

“Let me indulge my need to care for you this morning.” He offered her a bite of biscuit while the fingers of his other hand moved down to her pussy. He feathered them along her slit. “What’s it going to be?”

Sonnet felt a confused mixture of emotions swirling inside of her. She didn’t like being overwhelmed by them. She’d spent too long trying to avoid them. “I want you to untie me. I want coffee, and I want clothes.”

Trevor set the biscuit on the plate and cupped her face in his hands. “You are feeling emotionally vulnerable this morning.”

“Untie me.”

“Press the button.” He twisted the ring on her finger. “There’s a knife on the nightstand, I can have you free in a second.”

_“Trevor.”_

“What do you _really_ want? Ignore the panic in your mind because you’re having trouble processing everything.” He pursed his lips while searching her face. He reached up and untied the knots binding her wrists. He sat on the bed with his back to the headboard and pulled her into his lap. “Are you having second thoughts?”

It wasn’t second thoughts, not really. Sonnet couldn’t quite put her finger on the reason she was the closest to a panic attack she’d ever been. She usually had better control over herself.

“Sonnet?”

_“What?”_

He tapped the ring on her finger. “There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Why don’t we settle for biscuits and coffee? And when you’ve settled down, maybe you can tell me why you’re so panicked?”

“I’m not sure I’ll have an answer.”

Trevor reached out to grab the biscuit he’d discarded earlier. “I have all the time in the world, and even if you don’t have an answer, I’ll still be here.”

“It’s hard to trust that you will be here.” Sonnet voiced her concerns.

“Give it time.” He offered her the biscuit then grabbed one of the cups of coffee. “Spend another day here on the ranch with me.”

“Why?”

“Because I can feel you dripping down my thigh.” He kissed her bare shoulder. “And I’d really like to enjoy you more.”

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

The package had been delivered over night to the gallery overnight. Sonnet had found it in a crate of art which had arrived from Palaven. She’d lifted up a turian sculpture and found a small envelope which contained a single datapad loaded with one vid of her and Trevor at his ranch.   There was a note at the end—‘I see you’ve chosen.’

_Chosen?_

It didn’t take much to determine the sender; no one other than her illustrious father had the reach and connections to pull something like this off. Sonnet sank down to her knees then twisted round to sit with her back to the large crate. She dropped the datapad on the floor beside her.

There was a soft huff before Clef moved over from sleeping under her desk to join Sonnet. She set her hand on the dog’s head. Her mind raced with the possibilities of the message.

_How the hell had her father gotten that footage?_

She absently petted Clef while considering the purpose of the cryptic note. “I should’ve known he wasn’t’ done.”

“Who isn’t done with what?” Trevor sidestepped an open crate before finally coming to a stop in front of her. He crouched down until they were at eye level. “Sonnet?”

“You asked if I trusted you.” Sonnet held the shifted her leg around to get a toe on the datapad to push over to him. “I trust you.”

With a confused frown, Trevor grabbed the pad and sat next to her on the floor. His frown deepened into an angry glare while the vid played. Sonnet focused her attention on Clef since she’d already seen it.

“Your father?”

“Who else?” Sonnet showed him the note. “He’s threatened most of my dates in the past. Not sure if he ever said anything to Steven.”

“Cerberus is on the Alliance’s radar at the moment. I doubt he’d want to draw extra attention by going after one of the most highly decorated admirals in the fleet.” Trevor draped her arm across shoulders. “I’m not worried about Jack Harper.”

“You should be.” Sonnet knew what her father was capable of. She lifted her hand to massage the scars left on her throat. “I’ve defied him at every turn. He won’t simply allow me to walk away without paying for it.”

* * *

 

_From: Walker Shepard_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: re: Brain Cells._

_Ha. Bloody. Ha._

_I’m fine._

_Some weird ass prothean beacon scrambled my head, and no I didn’t get a vid capture of it so you can see the ancient art. I’m sure you’ll manage to survive._

_Weird. Ass. Shit._

_So I’m on the Citadel and there’s this art exhibit I saw with art by the hanars, can you imagine? You have to come see this._

_How about a birthday trip? Are you still pretending you don’t celebrate? You could use a break before the gallery opens in a couple of weeks. Hop on a transport out here. It’s only a few hours from Arcturus._

_Walker_

* * *

 

Sonnet was sitting on Trevor’s desk with her legs crossed while she casually read through one of the reports on his desk. She didn’t even bother to glance up when he walked in. “I’m going to the Citadel.”

He plucked the _confidential_ report from her hands and set it aside. “Are you?”

“Tomorrow.” She tilted her head to the side and looked down at the datapad. “What were your men doing sniffing around Cerberus’ servers?”

“You’ll see. Patience.” Trevor had no intention of ruining the birthday gift he’d put so much effort into for her. He was definitely going to need to adjust his plans if she was intending to visit the Citadel. “When are we leaving tomorrow?”

“We?” She finally lifted her gaze to meet his. “Don’t you have a business to run, other people to _secure_ , knees to shoot, little things like that.”

“ _Sonnet.”_

 


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

A week and a half later, Sonnet was crouched behind a wall in the men’s room of a Citadel restaurant. Weird creatures had attacked the station. Clef was glued to her side while Trevor and Tristan stood near the door which they’d blocked as best they could. Their guns were drawn and focused on the door.

That’s what Walker had claimed to be fighting when he’d messaged her the day of her birthday dinner with apologies for missing it. He’d been heading to Ilos after stealing his ship. Hackett had been incensed about something Ambassador Udina had done. He’d messaged her, concerned for her safety as he was currently organizing the Fifth Fleet’s response.

She’d always be an afterthought to the man, the Alliance came first. She understood it. The trouble was it reminded her too much of how her father had always treated her. There were always other priorities. It was why a relationship with Hackett would never have worked for long.

Was it really too much to ask to want to be someone’s first priority?

Her first ‘happy’ birthday celebration had been crashed by homicidal robots out to conquer everyone. Sonnet would’ve laughed if she hadn’t been terrified. The blasted geth had ruined what promised to be a great meal and a fun evening. She hadn’t even received a single present yet.

And now Sonnet was not only hungry, but scared and slightly nauseous at the disgusting floor she was kneeling on.

What in the blazes did men do in the toilet? Wave it around like a toy?

Disgusting, barbaric, idiotic.

“Easy, girl.” Sonnet ran her fingers through Clef’s fur as the dog growled low in her chest. She was likely responding to the spike in Sonnet’s panic.

“Get back.”

Sonnet frowned at the terse command from Trevor then over to the door when it shook from an impact on the other side. She gestured absently toward the urinals to her right. “And where precisely should I go? Inside one of those?”

With a sharp gesture and a snap of his fingers, Trevor had Clef standing in front of Sonnet. The dog was large enough to shield her.   Tension radiated from the dog as if she was ready attack. Sonnet frowned over at Trevor who was turned toward the door once again.

She bit back a stunned cry when the door blasted open and Tristan was thrown past her. He skidded on his back into the wall, but was on his feet racing toward the door minutes later. Trevor’s large frame blocked Sonnet’s view much to her annoyance.

“Stand down.”

“Is that Steven?” Sonnet slowly rose to her feet and stretched out her sore muscles. She ignored Trevor who was trying to keep her back. “I’m not some wilting flower.”

“Says the woman who was crouching on a bathroom floor.” Tristan teased then grunted when she pinched his neck.

“Are you all right?” Hackett attempted to shoulder past Trevor who refused to budge. “I would’ve been here sooner, but the Alliance had to stop the geth from destroying the Citadel.”

“I’m fine.”

Hackett seemed put off by the coldness in her response. He glanced over at the rifle in Trevor’s hands. “Why weren’t you and your son helping us stop the attack? We could’ve used two capable soldiers.”

“I’m not a soldier.” Tristan held up his rifle with feigned surprise. “Where did this thing come from?”

“ _Tris.”_ Sonnet didn’t think now was the time for his jokes.

“And what exactly should we have done with Sonnet?” Trevor stepped into Hackett’s space with a menacing edge to his voice. “Should we have left her somewhere? Hope for the best? Brought her with us? I don’t know what the hell you Alliance types do with people you love, but I prefer making sure the people I love are safe.”

“You used to be a damn Alliance type,” Hackett retorted. “And what would you even know about love?”

“I was _never_ like you.” Trevor caught the Admiral by the front of his armor and shoved him away from the door. “And if your first thoughts _aren’t_ for Sonnet’s safety, then I have to say I know a hell of a lot more about love than you do.”

“Oh, ouch, dad, painful.” Tristan winked at Sonnet.

“The truth is often painful.” Sonnet squeezed carefully between the men with Clef at her heels. “Enjoy your victory, Admiral. I hope it’s not too lonely for you.”

“Sonnet.”

She paused next to Hackett and reached out to squeeze his hand lightly. “I’m not anyone’s mistress, Steven. I won’t play second best to your true love—The Alliance.”

“Meadows has been putting…”

“Nothing into me lately, so don’t even attempt to blame him.” Sonnet scoffed at the now smirking Trevor. “Contain yourself. _Honestly._ Men.”

She was clambering daintily over a pile of smouldering debris when Trevor and Tristan caught up with her. Her high-heeled, knee-high boots gave her a longer stride than normal. She ignored the hand held out to help her over one last barrier.

“Are we going to pretend that love wasn’t mentioned earlier?” Tristan broke the tense silence with a bemused tone in his voice. “I’m good with pretend you aren’t all bundled up in puppy love.”

“ _Tris.”_ Sonnet had no desire to talk about any of this—not now, not ever really. “I _am_ simply starving.”

“Pizza?” Tristan asked hopefully.

“Not on my birthday.”

“How about baked geth?” Tristan held up the head of one of the larger geth.

“Why did you feel the need to ever procreate?” Sonnet asked Trevor while continuing on toward a shuttle which some of the Meadows firm guards had just landed. “This might be the oddest birthday I’ve ever had.”

Trevor wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her into the shuttle into a seat beside him. He retrieved a small disc from his pocket. “Happy Birthday.”

She scanned the disc with her omni-tool and waited patiently for whatever it was to pop up. “Oh.”

“Who’s the chick? She’s hot.” Tristan finally joined them in the Kodiak. He frowned at the brunette on the vid now playing on Sonnet’s omni-tool. “Sonnet?”

“My mother.” She was tempted to reach out to touch the vid, just for a chance to be closer to the beautiful woman. The footage appeared to be cobbled together from various events from when her mother was still a working model. “She was so beautiful and fragile and _foolish.”_

“So this is why we were hacking Cerberus.” Tristan hit the floor a second after commenting when his dad swept his feet out from under him. “Shutting up now.”

Sonnet smirked at her friend before turning to Trevor. She brought her hand up to rest on the side of his head; her fingers hesitantly traced his jawline. “Thank you.”

“So no love then?” Tristan rolled out of the way of his father’s boot. “Fine, fine.”

* * *

 

_From: Patrick Hoch_

_To: Sonnet Wells_

_Subj: Birthdays._

_I’m sorry I missed the excitement. Glad to hear Meadows kept you safe in the chaos._

_But why exactly are you panicking? Nothing wrong with falling in love, Sonnet. It’s not a tragedy. Does Trevor even know you and Tristan ran off with Walker for a week in Paris?_

_Patrick_


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

_From: Patrick_

_To: Sonnet_

_Subj: re: Lost._

_The truth is, aside from your aunt and uncle, you don’t really know any normal couples. _

_Love isn’t a weakness._

_I know your father would disagree. I also know he’s likely instilled an unhealthy level of mistrust in others. He certainly never demonstrated any sort of love toward you._

_My point is that you should stop making me help Trevor Fucking Meadows._

_No, my point is he clearly cares about you. I doubt a man like Meadows throws around the word love casually so he obviously feels a great amount for you._

_Why exactly are you terrified by this?_

_Patrick_

_P.S. It’s not hiding or running when you take a bodyguard with you who works for the man you are hiding from._

* * *

 

“He’s not wrong,” Tris remarked unhelpfully with a trademark smirk while he read over her shoulder.

“Tris.”

“Seriously, he’s not wrong.” He dodged out of the way of her elbow. “My dad’s falling head over heels for you and running around pretending to look for new art for the gallery isn’t going to change any of it.”

Sonnet had endured Tris’s comments since they left Arcturus and had finally had enough. “Enough, Tris, I’m done. I don’t want to hear anything else about your father or love or anything else. It’s up to me to sort this out for myself.”

“You’re not sorting it out.”

“See that corner over there; if you move from it, I’m going to have your father reassign you to someone else’s security team.” Sonnet snapped at him coldly. She reined in her temper at the hurt in his eyes that he masked with an uncaring grin. “Just let me deal with this, Tris, please?”

Wisely stepping away, Sonnet perused the rest of the gallery without Tristan’s constant presence. He stayed within sight, but left her alone for once. She figured it was the closest to privacy she would get at the moment since Clef hovered by her side.

“None of this art really fits with the Arcturus gallery.” Trevor’s voice broke into her thoughts several minutes later.

Sonnet steeled her nerves with a calming breath then glanced casually over her shoulder to the well-dressed men striding toward her. “I suppose I should bow to your artistic _expertise_. When precisely did you become so brilliantly educated on the fine arts? Hmm? Should I suddenly applaud your knowledge of Picasso?”

“Ease the sarcasm, Sonnet.”

“Wit doesn’t come with an off switch, Trevor. If my father couldn’t terrify it out of me, what do you think you could possibly do to curb it?” Sonnet strolled into the next room to look at a series of nudes from the twentieth century. She paused in front of a beautiful couple reclining on a couch done in muted tones on a large, ornate frame. She tapped her lips absently with her finger before glancing out the corner of her eye at the silent man at her side. “That was beneath me. I’m sorry.”

“Pushing me away won’t change my feelings for you or make your father leave me alone. He already has Walker’s body. We were able to confirm it. I’ve got an agent working undercover for the Lazarus Project, with any hope; we’ll be able to make sure they don’t…create a clone.” Trevor rested a firm hand on her shoulder to lead her into an alcove to the right for a little more _privacy._ He brought his other hand up to rest over the base of her throat. He slid it to the side under the collar of her shirt letting his fingers graze along her collarbone. “I love you. You’ll get used to it.”

Sonnet raised an eyebrow at him in bemusement. “I’ll get used to it? Is there a sign somewhere on me that I’m unaware of that mentions I enjoy demanding men?”

Trevor’s fingers gripped her firmly while he pushed her up against a wall. His lips descended near her ear, ghosting against the shell of it. “Only _my_ demands. You can tell the other demanding bastards in your life to take a long walk.”

“I may never say it in return. You realize this right?” Sonnet refused to admit how much her father’s influence had damaged her heart and soul.

His hand drifted over to rest between her breasts. “I have your heart. You don’t have to tell me.”

“ _Arrogant_.”

He nipped her earlobe then leaned back to smile at her. “You weren’t disagreeing.”

“Trevor.”

“We’ve got a Cerberus unit storming the gallery; perhaps you can steal her panties later?” Tristan rushed into the room with his weapon in hand.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning. This chapter includes character deaths.
> 
> Sad chapter is sad.
> 
> Sad chapter is also the last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all sadly.
> 
> Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks are a drug that I love to receive. Comments are chocolate, they make everything better. I am thankful for all of them.
> 
> Shout out to my spectacular betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929
> 
> Hope you enjoy

Leaving Sonnet in the over-protective care of his father and Clef, Tristan made his way cautiously, but carefully through the gallery to keep an eye on the incoming Cerberus forces. He’d initially spotted their shuttles landing outside. He was surprised to find the gallery empty of any seeming threat.

_The hell was going on?_

He took a few steps out the front door to see if the Cerberus shuttles were still there only to be launched forward into the air by the after-shocks of a massive explosion.   He had no idea how much time had passed while he was remembering how to breathe. It was a damned miracle that his injuries didn’t seem fatal or even life threatening.

With his ears still ringing from the blast, Tristan scrambled out from under the rubble that had fallen on top of him. He had multiple cuts across his body and what felt like bruised ribs. He limped toward the smouldering field of debris where the gallery had once stood with a growing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.

_How the fuck would anyone have survived it?_

“ _Dad!”_

The shout sounded muffled to his blown out eardrums. Tristan glanced down to his omni-tool which appeared to be damaged beyond repair. He changed directions from his initial plan to search the rubble and instead rushed over to their Kodiak which appeared to be fine.

After sending urgent messages to both the Alliance and to the rest of the Meadows Firm as well, Tristan grabbed a spare rifle from the small armoury in the shuttle then returned to begin looking for survivors.   Fuck. He hoped to find living and not dead bodies. He told himself not to think about it.

Picking his way through room after room, Tristan alternated between yelling his dad’s name and whistling for Clef. He heard a faint sound and turned to the left to follow it. It ended up being one of the other patrons who Tristan helped out of the debris.

He was on his fourth trip out of the gallery with one of the dead victims this time when Alliance shuttles started landing nearby. They immediately took control of the rescue effort which left him to focus on the last place Sonnet had been.

After hours of back breaking effort, Tristan finally found those he was looking for. They were together. His father had wrapped his body around Sonnet, likely a last ditch effort to protect her from the inevitable. Clef was buried a little further back, not moving.

Tristan sank down on his knees and reached out a trembling finger to check for a pulse on Sonnet.   He could tell from the visible damage to his father that there was no need to look for signs of life. There would be none. “C’mon, Sonnet. Don’t do this to me. _Fuck.”_

“Tristan?”

He glanced over his shoulder to find Patrick making his way over a damaged wall to where Tristan was. “I found them.”

“Alive?” Patrick looked like he was holding his breath as he slid down the last little bit to where Tristan was kneeling. “Well?”

Tristan simply shook his head sadly. He scrubbed at the dirt mingled with tears on his face. “No.”

“Both of them?” Patrick chocked out. He eased Tristan out of the way and bent down to check Sonnet for himself. “No. No. No. This can’t be happening. Who the hell did this?”

“Cerberus.”

Patrick’s entire body froze briefly before he turned to Tristan would an angry fire in his eyes. “Cerberus?”

“They landed not long before the explosion.” Tristan cursed himself for not insisting _everyone_ leave with him.

Patrick gently lifted Sonnet’s body from the ground, leaving Trevor to be dealt with by his son. Tristan could hear Patrick’s whispered promise to avenge her death. He clutched her lifeless form to his chest while carefully stepping over the rubble.

“Patrick?”

He glanced back to Tristan. “Yes?”

“I want part of the bastard when you find him.” Tristan had no doubt that Patrick would be equal to the task of finding and killing the Illusive bastard. He rested his hand on the slightly mangled body of his father, hating the tears still streaming down his face. “He won’t get away with this, Dad. I fucking promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sonnet Reference: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92447263991/sonnet-jacqueline-harper-wells
> 
> Patrick: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92566191726/silverfoxmen-eric-rutherford-model
> 
> Walker: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92057300896/jlmatau-stuart-bellamy-elan-management-models
> 
> Treble: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/92433019061/brazenbvll-maverick-c
> 
> Trevor: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/100754320971


End file.
